A Rotten Day in Salem
by Vigilante2470
Summary: After losing several in their time at Atlas, Team RWBY has been captured and taken to face Remnant's resident witch. But it won't be the gallows or guillotine for the itinerant heroes. No, sometimes when it comes to crossing off your foes, it's just best to go with your gut... Vore... It's a vore story. That's what I'm getting at.
1. À La Mode

Cinder Fall beheld as they were marched down the castle's violet hued halls in medieval chains, wrists behind their backs in iron manacles. There had been concerns about the faunus girl and her sneaky semblance, but as she knew all too well, the crystals that dotted the Land of Darkness were neither dust nor decoration.

No indeed, the primeval crystals naturally sapped Aura. Invulnerable as the castle's master was, she evidently wouldn't tolerate any opposition within it. It held no hold over magic, of course, which worked for the old witch, and had allowed Cinder herself to train quite effectively.

But all that was moot now. Cinder had _done it._

She and Neo had tracked Ruby Rose down in Atlas, orchestrating a trail of crumbs that ultimately led her group to investigate the Dust Mines in Mantle. That old hole Atlas had floated out of was a far less secure spot than the great city. Ideal to host an ambush.

Of course… it hadn't _all_ gone to plan. Among the icy stares she received as they passed, one of the coldest were from heterochromic eyes of pink and brown…

Neo had played the long game with her… As it happened, she hadn't accepted their truce save for stacking the odds in her own favor. Neo had _betrayed her,_ but even by her own caution she had underestimated Cinder.

They had _all_ underestimated Cinder…

The Arc boy made another attempt on her life, but in the end she'd incinerated him. Fortunate, as he was spared seeing that hammerhead girl bite it when Callows sniffed his way to the action and eagerly employed his new tail on her. She, Tyrian and Qrow all bought it when her boyfriend triggered a cave-in and buried himself. Qrow had overextended his ploy to knock Callows into a mineshaft and plummeted along with him instead.

But how simple it had been afterward… Ruby had been securely blindfolded later, but a little release of natural gas from the caves was all it had taken to knock the rest of them out for easy transport. Even Neo fell prey to it.

How simple it would have been to kill Neo any number of ways while she was unconscious…

But no. Without a stooge like her to kill Ruby… Cinder could only deliver the girl to Salem, unharmed. Otherwise, the Grimm Queen would never stop hunting her, not as long as she still held the only key to the Relic of Choice.

So she would take revenge the only way she could. She was all too aware of Salem's… _proclivities…_

Still, she couldn't be too disappointed. She had redeemed herself ten times over in the Queen's eyes. Delivered the girl, the Relic of Knowledge… even Ozpin, the boy he inhabited trudging along in fear.

Callows was gone, she returned victorious, and Watts would see _none_ of the credit. This was a good day to be Cinder.

The heavy doors opened to the lower rotunda, and there Salem stood, stoic and ponderous and imposing. Cinder saw their jaws gape as they understood the gravity of the pale being before them.

"Cinder, I'm curious," she began, not even addressing the group directly. "You don't generally take prisoners, and you _know_ I do not. So why are there more than a pair? Do you hate them _all_ so much?"

The Rogue Maiden anticipated this line of questioning… but she was no less desirous for that. "It's an offering. An apology for my failure…"

"Hmm," the Witch intoned. "An offering… You're certain you're not manipulating me into providing some grander personal revenge?"

Cinder had nothing. She only stood rod stiff, avoiding Salem's cat-eyed gaze.

"Make no mistake, Cinder," Salem said, "you've earned my favor… and I'm actually keen to indulge you. But I don't abide being used…"

Cinder's mouth went dry, her own lips unconsciously parting.

"I'm afraid you'll need to leave me to myself for this. I'll not reward your cunning directed so at _me."_

Cinder didn't move. "Ma'am… may I at least be here for when the girl—?"

"_YOU BITCH!"_ Yang Xiao Long screamed, eyes burning red, finally incapable of sitting quietly in chains. _"DON'T YOU TOUCH MY SISTER! I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL—"_

But as Salem leered her way, a palm reaching out, Yang's shrieking threats devolved into muffled mutterings. And then her eyes returned to lilac as she moaned in confusion, and then horror, her friends sharing similar looks of dread.

Sometimes, even Cinder was taken aback by Salem's shows of power. Tyrian's worship of her hadn't been wholly misplaced. She watched on, bemused as the blonde brawler panicked to find her mouth had vanished. Her lips were gone, replaced instead with more cheek smoothed over the spot between her nose and chin. Her tongue poked at it, her nostrils working overtime as she tried to breathe. Her jaws worked in defiance, opening as if she could split a new mouth back open if she tried hard enough.

"The next outburst will be dealt with _far_ less politely," Salem threatened, turning back to Cinder. "If I decide I accept your request, I will send for you. Until then, leave us."

Cinder almost wanted to argue the point, but she knew that would only sway her towards the opposite of her desires.

She _had_ to see Ruby's last moments… She _had_ to be there when in fear and anguish, the girl slipped out of this world. To see the light leave those Silver Eyes, and know the one to humiliate her had received the final wage to her foolishness.

But Cinder bowed, turned on her heel, and hurried out the far door, which closed with a sound that left them all in piercing silence.

"Now," the Witch said, "I think we should clarify how this is going to happen. To answer your inevitable concerns… _yes_, you _will_ die here today."

There was a shudder of uneven movement among the prisoners. In particular, Weiss Schnee had begun blinking rapidly, twin streaks of tears instantly rolling down her face. Ruby's eyes were blindfolded, but her lips had parted to reveal clenched teeth. Blake didn't seem moved, expression quite as stony and despondent as it had from the first minute. Neo's eyes had widened, and she merely shook her head over and over again.

"The sooner you accept this the better," Salem continued. "Were you to escape this fortress somehow, you would proceed without arms through hundreds of miles of territory infested with Grimm _far_ less merciful than I, before reaching an ocean with no means to cross it.

"...If you have illusions of destroying me, I freely invite it if you think you can. If dear Ozpin has told you anything about me, then you should know I've been trying that myself for thousands of years. Truly, I'm granting you something I can no longer possess: a reprieve from this fallen Eden."

None of them said anything. Even blindfolded, Ruby knew their weapons were a continent away. They had seen Jinn's memories, and they all knew they were helpless before Salem. By the Silver-eyed girl's estimation, they probably only had one real chance.

"I'd prefer we did this in private, but I think I'll spare you all any ambiguity to your fate while you're waiting."

Suddenly, a terrified-looking Neo's shackles snapped off, and she fell forward unexpectedly.

"I'd had _other_ plans," Salem explained, "but you're shaking like a leaf. It would be cruel to prolong this in your case… but I won't deny, it entices the Grimm in me."

Neo _bolted._ In her brief freedom, she sprinted past them down the hall, only capable of small exertion sounds as she fled for her life.

But it couldn't be. A mere gesture of Salem's hand and the woman stopped, feet still hammering the floor as she tried to run, instead being swiftly drug back.

Finally, Neo was stood up lock stiff before the Queen. "Cease your struggling. You're only making this harder on yourself."

Neo went loose again, save for her feet, which planted to the floor like she were wearing cement shoes. Salem's hands found Neo's shoulders, almost delicately grasping them.

"So, _girl…_ have you any last words for me?"

Neo's makeup ran as the tiny woman's tears fell, her jaw working as she stammered noiselessly, knowing Salem had asked the impossible of her.

Salem frowned, and then brought one of her razor-nailed hands to Neo's throat.

There was a flash, and then gasping as Neo had doubled over, and a new voice higher even than Ruby's spoke. "I… w-what…? My v… My _voice…!"_

"It's not a gift that will last, child," Salem told her. "As I asked… have you any last words?"

Neo devolved into noisy tears, sad and savoring of the sound of her own pipes.

"If you've nothing worth saying, I'll gladly take it ba—"

"NO! _PLEASE!"_ Neo pled. "Please, I just wanted to avenge my Roman! I wanted Cinder to _pay_ _for taking him from me! _I'm not _against _you, I don't want to die! _I don't want to d-die! I DON'T WANT T—"_

Neo immediately spluttered back into silence, sobbing as her voice left her again.

"I think you've said all that's useful," Salem surmised. "I'll not deny, you're a woman after my own heart. I too once went to great lengths in honor of the man I loved, since lost. I was denied the ability to return to him for aeons.

"As such, it would be unthinkable of me to consider your request. Nothing is left for you here in revenge, girl. Let me send you to be with your love, in true happiness…"

Suddenly Neo flinched as every article of her clothing was very suddenly torn off, practically exploding off her body until she was as naked as the day she was born. She huddled, mouth open in a noiseless scream as she covered herself.

"Oh _god," _Weiss breathed, averting her eyes.

"Oscar, look away!" Blake ordered, imagining herself in Neo's position, ogled by a boy she barely knew.

"Hmm," Salem grunted. "Don't be cruel, beast girl. Ozma's latest slave has almost certainly never had a woman before. Let him look… or perhaps one of you ladies could busy yourselves to remedy that for him?"

"W-what?" Oscar asked after the suggestion, he and the girls surrounding him going pink.

"Doubtless you all possess _some_ comprehension of my ties to the Grimm," Salem began, hand running over Neo's back. "Indeed, at times I feel… an _urge._ Immortal as I am, I'm still afflicted by desires of the flesh… loneliness… _hunger…"_

The look in Salem's eyes chilled them, but none more so than Neo.

"Human hunger is constant… but Grimm don't _need_ to feed… they _choose_ to. I possess both desires… and I can only sate both one way."

At that instant, Salem began to grow. Though not minuscule compared to any of them by any means, she gently towered to nine feet tall in moments, perfectly proportioned from before. Neo squirmed in terror as she was lifted from the ground by goliath hands.

"_God_ no…!" Blake croaked, as they saw where this was headed.

"What…?" Ruby asked. "I can't see…"

Weiss shook uncontrollably. "S-She's going to _eat us! She's going to EAT US!"_ she shrieked, looking as though she might leap from a window.

"_What?!"_

But indeed, Salem raised her high, magic arresting the flailing feet to be streamlined towards her. The rest of Neo wriggled with fear…

"_WAIT!"_

Salem turned to leer at Ruby Rose, who leapt out into view, still blinded. "Did you think I was bluffing about outbursts?"

Black hands shot out from beneath the Silver Eyed Girl and swiftly dragged her flat to the floor. She groaned in discomfort as the others called after her.

"_SALEM, PLEASE! I'M the one you want! Take ME, let the rest of them go, JUST TAKE ME!"_

Salem sighed, setting Neo down slightly. "Really? Even for _this _one?"

Ruby sniffed loudly, the white cloth over her eyes graying. "T-too many people have died today… If it makes it stop, you can take me!"

"I already _have_ you," Salem droned. "Ozma isn't negotiable. And unless the rest are keen on switching sides… At any rate, _this_ one has already betrayed one of my lieutenants," she explained, indicating Neo, whose tears ran fresh. "Useless."

Yang muffled angrily as she stared daggers at Salem. Blake echoed her sentiment. "There's no way in _HELL_ we're joining you after you've EATEN our friends!"

"There we have it," the Witch said, almost wry. "Now may I continue, or will you scream something else at me from the floor?"

"The gods were _wrong!"_ Ruby said clearly.

Salem's expression softened. "What was that?"

"What they did to you, _both_ of you, was _so wrong…!"_ Ruby explained. "They might have _made_ us, but they don't understand us at all! You were just a girl in love, in _mourning…_ You made mistakes… _humanity _made mistakes… but that's what it IS to be human! And they punished you for it… they punished _everyone _for it…"

"What _else_ do you know about me, Ruby Rose? Go on…"

"I know you suffered as much as anyone can, and more… I know you so _desperately _wanted something so simple, but no one would let you have it… and once you finally did, it was all taken from you again. Ozma was _wrong _to abandon you, and the Brother of Light was _wrong_ to warn him away. He said there was no hope for you, that _nothing _was left of the girl he loved. But you were an adoring wife, and a loving mother, even in _spite_ of the darkness driving you!"

"How do you know this, child?" Salem asked.

"The Relic… the Relic of Knowledge showed us."

Her brow rose. "You used one of my questions. While I appreciate your candor, you'd have been better served keeping _that_ to yourself." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "So you _knew_ my curse of immortality?"

"...Yes."

"And still you chose to oppose me? To join _his_ pointless campaign, when it could only ever lead you to this day?"

Ruby took a breath. "I'm a Huntress… and I'm sworn to protect humanity to the bitter end. If the Relics are gathered, the gods will return. And if we're unworthy, if we're not what they expect of us… they'll destroy _everything…_ And you _want _that, don't you?"

Salem didn't say anything for a moment. "A Huntress to the end… throwing your life away. Not even the excuse of Ozma's shameless lies to embolden you.

"Yes, I'd like to have one more chance to defy those celestial bastards… I'll lose, and then they'll _end_ this pointless game for good."

This time it was Weiss who spoke up. "Or they'll come up with some even _worse _fate for you! Maybe they'll destroy Remnant, and leave _you_ to wander the void alone!"

"_Quiet,"_ Salem hissed.

Ruby pressed on. "Salem, you're letting your hate cloud everything! It's the Grimm influence, you dove into that pool of destruction and it changed you! If you're so eager to die, then why are you after people with Silver Eyes like me? What are you afraid of?"

Salem scoffed. "Afraid? Of course not, you silly girl. I seek those with your gift as an _affront_ to the one who _granted_ your precious light… His children, the one who cursed me, the one who ruined _everything."_

"I might have his power, but I'm not on his side! Let me _help_ you… If the power of destruction changed you, then _my_ power could change you back! What do you have to lose?! What if I'm right?!"

Neo watched the exchange, looking utterly helpless, knowing her fate was in the hands and words of this youthful idealist.

"You're saying my thoughts are corrupted somehow?" Salem asked.

Ruby tilted her head. "You're about to _swallow_ a human being!"

Salem froze for a moment. Then she looked down to Neo, naked with black and green tear smudges. "All the same, am I to capitulate to these gods and their demands? For the sake of this fallen, worthless husk of humanity's former glory? You _know_ they could never measure up to the Brothers' standards."

Ruby shook her head. "You don't know that! You've worked against them from the start! We never had a _chance _to come together because you've worked from the shadows to tear us all apart!"

Salem stared at her, frowning.

"What good is it to spit in the gods' faces, and prove them _right _about you? Prove them _right _about all of us! But what if we proved them _wrong?!_ Wouldn't that… _that_ send them a _real_ message?! Isn't _that_ the act of defiance where _everybody _wins?!"

Salem continued to stare. There was silence.

And then there was a snap as Ruby's manacles popped open, and some unseen force untied her blindfold, leaving her blinking as it fell from her face. She beheld the pallid witch for the first time.

"Come then, girl," Salem said, expression flat, "do your worst."

Her friends watched, and Oscar's eyes were huge, and Ruby couldn't be sure who was in control of him at that moment. She walked past them all, to face Salem, still clutching the young woman in her hands.

Ruby stood before her, looking up at the enlarged queen. "Thank you."

The queen shook her head. "Don't thank me _yet…"_

Ruby closed her eyes, and concentrated. It wasn't hard at all this time… she _had_ to preserve the ones she loved… this was the moment… _this_ was the moment that would make all the difference.

And for the extra kick, she sought the image of her mother's face…

Ruby's Silver Eyes opened to flood the rotunda with a glow of such intensity that poor Neo before her saw spots. The others had to look away as the warmth of The Light washed through like a freshly opened clothes dryer.

Then, as soon as it had begun, it was over. The blinding light faded, and they all beheld the result.

...But Salem's fair pink skin was already fading. The black veins were already threading underneath. Her jewel blue eyes were already becoming red and inhuman.

"No…" Ruby whispered, her heart sinking.

Salem sighed. "It's a shame," she said, a ring of real regret in her voice, "For a moment, I think I believed you…"

She raised Neo high…

"_Salem, please!" _Ruby cried, her manacles already racing back to bind her. _"DON'T DO IT! JUST GIVE ME ANOTH—"_

But the dark hands from before clasped over her mouth, and the others dragged her back to her friends.

"I will not lie to you," Salem said to her victim, "the process _is_ excruciating…"

Neo, meanwhile, was having the nightmare of her life, toes twisting and tears streaming as she looked down at an angle to see her feet passing into Salem's open mouth. In moments, they sat on her tongue, presently huge enough to stand on if she tried.

Salem's hands ran up to her knee and hip, and with a flick of that tongue, the combination of forces caused Neo to slip on the studded muscle and slot past it to the waiting throat.

"There's… _no way…!"_ Blake stammered, in shock and awe as Neo visibly panicked, her knees locked in the pit of the throat, feet evidently kicking from inside Salem's pale neck. Her lips wrapped around Neo's thighs, twisting as though she were desperate to relieve herself.

Then there was a thunderous, wet noise, and Neo gasped and bucked as they saw her entire backside eclipsed by Salem's bottom lip. It was a _swallow._

Neo's reaching, flailing hands made for Salem's face, but were quickly gripped by magic and dragged up as though by chains bolted to the ceiling. She was helpless as her entire pelvis sank as though in quicksand, until her waist was between Salem's lips.

It was clear that while Salem was prepared for this, she hadn't grown _so_ large that the hips of a full-grown woman weren't a mouthful for her. Unseen, Neo was repulsed as she felt the huge tongue lathering up her backside. None of it was sexual… she was merely lubing her body for the next part, like some dry morsel.

The next swallow was nearly as dramatic as the first, but slower, as even Salem moaned with effort as hands on Neo's shoulders assisted. Ruby saw the clear peach shape of her hips rolling down her neck, drawing Neo up to her navel.

"M-mother of _god…! She's really…!" _Weiss breathed, looking half sick as she realized Salem had already engulfed _most_ of the admittedly diminutive woman's body, the hips being the thickest part of her. From this point, the swallowed part would drag the rest of her down until…

Neo leaned back and tilted her head so far she _just_ made eye contact with Weiss. Though mute, her eyes streamed as she mouthed something at her, as Salem began working her up to her modest breasts.

Weiss shuddered, feeling sick. She couldn't read lips, but she could tell what Neo had tried to say.

"_Help me…"_

Weiss began shivering so hard her bounds jangled constantly.

"No…!" Oscar muttered, not daring to look up. "Stop this…! She _can't…!"_

Salem's magic had already stuffed Neo's arms to her side, up to her elbows in the witch's esophagus. Another loud gulp and her breasts heaved upon Salem's upper lip, and she only needed to open her mouth to let them flop in. Neo's sniffling was all they could hear as she sobbed openly, shaking her head rapidly as she struggled.

Salem's hands no longer supported any part of the assassin, instead one hand massaging her throat as she went to her task, the other cradling her unseen gut. By anyone's estimation, Neo's feet were almost certainly touching the floor of her stomach by now.

With a wrenching effort, Neo pulled one of her arms free with a squelch… but it had cost her dearly. The friction of her last bid for life had forced herself down a few inches, and lost her body traction against the constant creep down. Her shoulders slipped out of sight, only her head in the outside world, arm flailing and fumbling around as she could be heard hyperventilating. Salem's lips were firmly sealed around her neck…

Ruby wanted to scream to Salem to stop this. They were witnesses to the slow execution of another human being. And this fate would await them _all_… just because she failed… Salem had _let_ her take her shot, and she _failed!_

As surely as Ruby was gagged, Neo's mouth was hanging open, dryly wailing with almost no noise at all. And so too did Salem's jaws gape, chin to the sky. A single, loud gulp, and they could no longer see Neo's face anymore. Only her arm, sinking as it was could be seen, the ever more frantic gasps and breaths of Neo the only indicator that she was anything but a lump in Salem's throat.

Salem swallowed again, and for that instant the noise stopped…

...And then the noise returned again, a rasping, more frantic breathing, echoing slightly as if from a tunnel. The arm became even more frantic, reaching to grab for something, _anything_ to stop or slow what was happening.

But Salem was keen to end it. One last swallow put out the noise completely, and Salem sealed her lips as she massaged the lump down. The wrist twisted, almost convulsing, until it too was drawn out of sight into her mouth. A few ardent gulps and each of them saw the distortion against Salem's cloak as her gut contorted, Neo no doubt being stuffed into the Witch's stomach after her long and awful trip. It writhed, and squirmed, noiseless as the human being whose life it had claimed.

"She really _did it…"_ Blake croaked, unable to take her eyes off Salem's paunch.

Salem sighed, took a deep breath, and shrank back down to size, the bundle in her gut doing likewise as it wriggled. "I don't _need_ to breathe anymore… not for a long time… but _not_ being able to is no less distressing once they're halfway down. Sadly, _she'll _have no issues with air either," Salem explained, rubbing her middle. "She'll be _quite_ alert and alive until the process has mortally injured her."

With a wave of her hand, Ruby's supernatural gag came off, and Yang's mouth tore open once more.

"Let her out of there!" Yang cried, looking at the squirming form of Neo beneath Salem's skin. "You can't do this, she'll _die!"_

"Oh, a quick study, aren't you?" Salem droned, sarcasm dripping from her words like venom. "I'll be gone a few hours while I work her off… use them however you see fit, but I'd do so wisely. Don't forget what I said, boy, you especially."

Oscar's eyes widened. "W-why?"

She sighed. "I won't leave it ambiguous. _You're _next, child."

Oscar felt a shudder run through himself. They'd already been sentenced… but somehow, inwardly, he was hoping he'd be further away from the front of the line.

"It's nothing _personal."_ she clarified. "Well… no, it is… but it's hardly _your_ fault he wound up in your body… _is it, Ozma…?"_

"Salem… _please…"_ Ruby muttered, utterly defeated. "Don't do this… it's not too late."

Salem gave her a long, hard look. And then she strode back into the rotunda, the door closing behind her with no apparent cause.

* * *

_**A/N: Why?**_

'_**Cause I was feeling it…**_

_**Yeah, I know this is pretty niche, but I was into this enough to crank out a whole chapter in two days.**_

_**Probably I did a little too much to try and justify the premise here, but it exists for pure titillation and I'm not taking it as seriously as Hearts Mended. There's just something inherently absurd about vore, that you either don't take it seriously at all, or you play it basically as a tragedy. I chose the latter, because that suits me best. I know that as hard as I try, imagining Salem just going "nomf..." on another person isn't ENTIRELY believable.**_

_**Still, being me, I had to give it a setting and realistic characters. In this case, it's post Volume 7, highly speculating what a hard loss would look like in their time there. I also tried anticipating endgame elements for RWBY's new direction following Volume 6, specifically ideas like Neo turning on Cinder, or the JNPR death theory I shoved into this (mostly so as not to have ten different vore scenes, as they do get a bit samey after a while), or what the ultimate solution to stopping Salem might be and what her motives are.**_

_**I mean, how could I resist? Between Hearts Mended and my sfw series, I don't adhere to the canon enough to really explore how I think these things should go down, because generally I'm operating off my own rules.**_

_**So yeah, this ought to be a short one, but here's the first installment. Hopefully you fellow sick bastards enjoy!**_


	2. Pine-ing For

The silence that followed Salem's exit, still laden with a living woman in her belly, was unbearable.

The hanging threat upon Oscar's life… and indeed, _all_ their lives.

Salem had said it was painful. Poor Neo, whatever sins she had to her name, was still alive and slowly dying where no light or comfort could reach her.

Oscar, since paralyzed with shock, flashed bright green. "Ruby… I want you to know… none ever reached as far as you just did. It feels right now as though you've failed… but not even _I_ managed to make her question her own convictions. That she let you _try_ to heal her of her corruption… I'm only sorry that it wasn't a success… You have _nothing _to be ashamed of."

Ruby's eye met his own. She didn't feel any less awful, although she appreciated his words.

"Hey…" Yang said, stirring suddenly. "The hell is _that_ supposed to mean? You're talking like we're giving up! Like we're just gonna sit here and _wait_ for her to come throw us back like milkshakes or some crap! You heard her, we have a few _hours!_ Let's blow this heap!"

Weiss perked up slightly. "We… could steal that airship we came in on?"

Blake shook her head. "Does anyone know how to _fly_ it? Because Maria's going to be holed up at the school waiting for us to come back, and Oscar's last shot was a crash landing."

"Who CARES?!" Yang burst. "We wing it! What other choice do we have?! Better down in _flames_ than down _her_ hatch!"

Oscar's head nodded. "Of course, Yang… we're just being pragmati—"

"Nah, _screw_ pragmatism!" she shot back. "Uncle Qrow is _dead!_ Jaune? Ren, Nora? You think they'd want us to be _'realistic'_ and just roll over?! To hell with that!" she argued, eyes glassy as her voice broke. "Besides, we're the last shot, aren't we? Without us, there's no one else to _stop_ her!"

Ozpin sighed. "James and Glynda will fight on… but as we've established, I've been less than honest about what they're truly up against."

"Yeah, thanks again for that one," Yang deadpanned.

"_Yang!"_ Ruby admonished at last. The others turned to her, Yang especially floored as her own name rang against the stone walls. "You're right, we're _not_ giving up. But if we don't find a way—"

"But we _will—"_

"_IF WE DON'T FIND A WAY,"_ Ruby insisted, "...if we don't find a way out in time… this is Oscar's last few hours alive. And _our_ last day."

Ruby caught Ozpin's discerning eye.

"Oh! Not to leave you out of—"

"No… no, Miss Rose, you're not wrong," Ozpin said, a distant smile on his face. "That I might die is no tragedy. I'm quite prepared for it. Accustomed to it even. Oscar is the _true_ victim here… and barring any place I can be of use, I'll relinquish command to him until the time comes."

Weiss shook her head slightly. "Wait, you have _magic!_ Can't you… blow open a wall, unlock a door? _Anything?"_

Ozpin gave a breath of laughter. "Perhaps under other circumstances. But these walls are held together with farm more than stone and mortar, and Salem lived with me for several of my lifetimes. She is _acutely _attuned to my magic. I dare not even _test_ her bounds unless we're certain, lest we alert her. Ideally, a subtler solution would be best."

"And she'll _never_ stop chasing us," Blake added. "The second she knows, she'll send every Grimm for miles at us.

"We have my eyes," Ruby suggested, "but I don't know how much I can use the Light before I'm flat on my back…"

"_Guys…"_ Weiss broached. "That's all well, but we're forgetting about Oscar."

"Right," Ozpin said, "I'll take my leave then…"

Another flash and Oscar was back, eyes blinking rapidly as he rolled his shoulders.

Yang sighed. "Okay… so anybody have any _really_ unambitious bucket lists to check through? Oscar, anything to get off your chest if we don't… y'know… make it?"

"Er…" Oscar intoned, put on the spot.

Yang hummed, expression not changing. " 'Make it,' " she said, grimacing. "Actually, I hate to take _her_ advice… but… anyone here still a virgin?"

"Uhhh…!" Oscar uttered, catching Yang's eye and blushing as he gave a slight nod.

"_Yang…!" _Weiss hissed.

"What?" Yang asked. "_You_ want to die all pure and junk?"

Weiss might have breathed fire. "I am _not_ a virgin!"

Yang snorted. "Seriously? Okay, spill it… Who?"

"It was… the night of the dance," Weiss admitted, flushed crimson.

"Oh my _god,_ you put out for _Neptune?!"_ Yang laughed.

"I'll have you know he was a complete gentleman!" Weiss shot back, a deeper red.

"Yeah, _goofball _gentleman," Yang clucked. "You have him again before we left Mistral?"

"_Shut up!"_ Weiss cried. "Okay then, how about _you?"_

"Aw, nobody _you_ know," Yang sighed, the most at ease she'd been all day. "Had a few conquests in Vale… With a bod like this, it's not exactly hard… just… nothing really ever _stuck_ after round one, know?"

Ruby slumped. "Are we seriously talking about this…?"

Yang's expression fell slightly. Her eyes shifted to Blake. "How about you, any saucy stories?"

Blake grimaced. "Plenty experienced there… Adam and I met shortly before Sienna took over six years back… I was _smitten _with him… and… a year later, we started meeting and… _getting physical…"_

Weiss' fingers fluttered, and she mouthed silent words as she did the math in her head. "Hold on… So five years ago… Blake, you're _barely _eighteen! So you were _thirteen, _and he…"

"Seventeen, when we started."

"Oh my g— Blake _what the hell!"_

"Look, nobody regrets it more than me!" Blake said. "I was a young girl, he was tortured and gorgeous, and he wanted _me._ I thought I was in love, and… y'know… the whole forbidden love thing… Look, I was an early bloomer anyway! Reading has always been my hobby, and books are a _quick_ shortcut to a sexual awakening… Except for in Ruby's case, apparently…"

Ruby shrugged. "I mostly read fantasies and adventure novels…"

Yang sneered. "Wow, much as I want to throw up now, I no longer feel _any_ guilt about putting Adam on ice. He was bad before, but total pedo creepy—"

"_Okay!"_ Blake groaned, her ears folding angrily. "Focus, guys! So what are you getting at, Yang? We pair off two people with no feelings for each other, turn around and just plug our ears?"

"Yeah, you go from _'never say die,'_ to full _'last blaze of glory,' _stuff," Weiss noted, no less comfortable.

Yang shrugged. "If you don't want to, then _don't…_ But if we don't figure this out in time, Oscar's the last shot anyone in this room has at feeling a man's touch, so to speak… Oscar, if nobody else volunteers, _I'll _help you out, 'kay?"

Oscar went puce. "Um, _whoa!_ Don't _I_ get a say in this?"

Yang's face went blank. "What, you _don't _want to shack up with _this?"_

Weiss' eyes widened. "Uh… Yang… you called _Adam _a creep… How is _this_ better?"

"What? I'm not _forcing _myself on him… and he's not _that_ young."

"Yang, I'm not seeing the difference," Blake droned.

"Besides, do you have… _protection?"_ Weiss asked.

"What's it matter? If we don't get out of here, who cares?"

Weiss blew a hair out of her face. "I think you're _also_ forgetting the major detail of the whole 'Ozpin' thing…?"

"_Oh,"_ Yang croaked, her pupils shrinking, "Oh _god…_ right… What am _I_ thinking?"

Weiss' nostrils flared. "Well somewhere your thoughts went from your spleen to your _clitoris, _so…"

A green flash overtook Oscar. "I know you've little reason to trust me," Ozpin said, "but don't let that deprive Oscar of a life experience… particularly one he's too shy to admit himself _quite_ keen on— SHUT UP!"

Ozpin's calm cadence suddenly swapped to Oscar's, but only for a moment.

"Excuse him… I know it's not my place, but Miss Xiao Long, it's not _your_ company he wishes to keep, flattered as he is— STOP TALKING, NO NO NO NO— But I'll let _him_ arbitrate that… I can effectively lock myself deep in Oscar's thoughts. I'll be unreachable, and incapable of entering into any… _experiences_ he may have at the time. What you do with the next two hours will be entirely up to he, yourselves and the four walls."

Another flash and Oscar was back, clutching his head. "Gone again… like before.."

Yang realized she was holding her breath and let out a heavy sigh. "So, a holdout, huh?" she asked. "So that's new for me... Alright then, stud, who's caught your eye?"

Oscar chewed his cheek, eyes looking every place but at a person. "I… I've been… I haven't…" He took a deep breath. "I haven't been able to get you out of my head since you walked into the room back at Mistral… Ru...by…"

Yang and Weiss' mouths turned into enormous 'O's, staring between each other and Oscar. But Ruby's eyes practically _sparkled, _her mouth shrunk, her nose reddening on the spot. "M...Me…?"

Oscar found her eyes and shoved his own to the floor. "Y-you're _incredible…_ You're inspiring… you're _beautiful…_ I've never met anyone like you… and I'd never expect someone like you to even _notice _someone like me, an—"

"_You're wrong…"_ Ruby said, meekly, chin down.

Oscar's eyes bulged. "I'm… I'm… what?"

The others expressions became still more comically floored.

"Oscar… you're _just_ as inspiring to me," she clarified, the redness reaching her ears. "Being a Huntress, a hero… it's all I ever wanted to be. I worked my whole life to get this far. For me, hearing the world needed a few people who could brave the storm… It was an obvious decision. We lost people. Friends… There was no other choice to be _made!_

"You… Oscar, you're a boy bounding in off a farm to answer the _same call,_ with no proper training, no friends or family tied to Huntsmen, _no_ people to honor by furthering their fight! But you still left your life to _fight _with us, because it was the right thing to do…!"

"And… y'know… Ozpin kinda needed to be here…"

Ruby smiled, shaking her head. "Oscar, when I see you facing the same dangers as us, _I_ feel convinced to fight even _harder,_ because if you're brave enough to wade into the darkness… what excuse do the _rest_ of us have?"

"I-I mean…"

"Plus you're… _really cute,"_ Ruby admitted, going cherry red. "Like… you're _adorable…"_

Oscar looked as though he'd downed a bottle of malt liquor. "I'm… I'mma…"

Though their bonds were still locked behind their backs, Ruby motioned to her corner. "Oscar… you want to sit by me…?"

"Y-yeah!" he spluttered, shuffling over as well as he could manage. She'd sat upon her knees, and he took up a pretzel style in front of her.

Yang, meanwhile, scooted over near Blake. "Well _this_ is nice and neat, huh?" she opined, big sister instinct taking root. "Two lovebirds with one _bone…!"_

Weiss raised her eyebrows. "You realize this is _Ruby_ we're talking about? You expect two dorks who _just_ learned they're compatible to jump on each other and do the deed?"

Yang's smile vanished.

"So, uh… hehe…" Ruby broached. "...how did you want to… Oh! First we'd need to… M-my undies can… but your belt, we'd have to…"

Oscar sighed. "Ruby, hearing what you said… I could leave the world happy, just knowing that. We don't need to rush, or act like we need to catch up on a lifetime's worth of experiences… If it's alright, I just want to sit with you…" he said, looping his bound arms under his backside, then leaning back to raise his legs until he managed to loop over those as well "...and _maybe_ hold your hand…?"

Indeed, Oscar had managed to bring his hands to his front side, finally of some use to him.

Ruby prepared to take it, cooing at his utter sweetness… until Yang's boot struck between Oscar's shoulder blades.

"_Oaoof!"_

Oscar landed on the crimsonette, bowling her backwards. The boy found himself caught up in the ruffles of her skirt, and his extended palm on something soft… and compromising.

Ruby stared between his face and his hand, feeling a distinct tingle in her chest, linked to tingling… elsewhere.

Oscar sat up immediately, removing his hand as if burned. _"OH…! _Ruby, I'm sorry, it was an acci—"

His words were lost as she made a herculean effort to sit-up and reach him, puckered lips pressing against his, her eyes slammed shut.

It had lasted only a second, and she rolled back against the hard ground, staring up at him pleasantly flushed.

"You guys _better_ be looking the other way!" Ruby cried past him, and they promptly heard a shuffling.

"Have fun, sis!" Yang called, following Oscar's example and slipping her arms underneath herself.

"Oh my god, they're really going for it, aren't they?" Weiss realized suddenly. "Is no one else _really _uncomfortable with this? _I don't want to hear your sister losing her virginity!"_

Blake joined them to search every crack in the walls. "Then distract yourself. We _all_ deserve at least one last bit of joy… Let them have _theirs."_

Ruby's demeanor melted as she looked back at him. "Oscar… _come here…"_

"...O-k-k-k...kay…" he agreed, looming steadily over her. "Your hands are still behind your…"

She shrugged. "I trust you… Besides, it's quirky that way…"

"_Kinky!"_ Yang corrected, "Proud of you!"

"Ignore her…" Ruby groaned. "You want to… get closer…?"

Oscar nodded, gently settling onto her, his manacled hands above her head. She lifted her knees, gently funneling him between them. Face to face, she smiled softly up at him. "So… what now?"

"Uh… _what?"_

"What are you going to do?" she clarified.

"I… I'd like to kiss you…" he said, leaning closer.

"Yeah…?" she asked, raising her head.

"Y...yeah—"

He was cut off as her lips found his, and he sank down with her, breaking away before he pressed in again. Her kisses were brief, puckered pecks, as a parent might give her child on their way to school. Nearly innocent. She smooched away at his lips and cheeks in equal measure. Oscar had never experienced anything like this, but even _he_ suspected himself more privy to this aspect of courtship.

Although what was occurring from the neck down was another story. Oscar had been hugged by Ruby before, and he knew enough that despite her frequent naivete, she was surprisingly developed physically for one so young.

As such, chest to chest with her bosoms and soft belly was dreamlike, and she was clearly enthusiastic about it, because all of the above were intent on gyrating under him to rub her body against his.

He tried to match her, even as he sought a more proper kiss, though cautious of his hips. Her knees had trapped him, and it was only the fluffy cloth and frill of her signature skirt that kept his real thoughts at bay.

He finally managed to pull her bottom lip into a full-mouthed kiss, and she cooed as she melted into it, catching on rather fast and following his lead.

Oscar noted that Ruby never wore lipstick, or gloss, or anything to accent her appearance. And that made this moment all the smoother and sweeter.

She broke away only to catch his eye, giving him a bashful command: _"Lift my skirt…"_ she whispered.

"Lift…?"

"It's in the way," she clarified, leaning in to hide her face in the crook of his neck. "Come on, we can't _both_ be shy…!"

He nodded, bright red as he pressed up enough to lower his hands between them. He clasped the hem and tugged up, revealing a sea of bright red. Ruby giggled at his confusion.

"You'll have to undo the hooks," she explained. "A combat skirt has a layer to keep naughty boys from looking up it… but I don't think you're a naughty boy, so…"

He nodded shakily, fumbling with the clasps looped into the skirt's underside. Meanwhile, Blake's ears twitched as the others continued searching the walls.

"Your sister is being…" Blake began, searching for the right words, _"...surprisingly _forward with him."

Weiss turned. _"Ugh…_ you're _listening?"_

"These ears aren't for decoration, Weiss," Blake groaned, pointing. "I can't really help it."

"She's too shy to make a move herself," Yang explained. "But yeah… she must _really _like him."

With the anti-upskirt tech removed, Oscar was face to face with her again, the skirt itself bunched-up at her belly. His hips hovered over hers nervously. She kissed him, giggling. _"Come here…"_

"W-what do you mean? H-how much closer could I—"

Ruby briefly rolled her eyes, before her legs lifted and her boot heels hit the small of his back.

"_Oghff!"_

Oscar felt himself fall flat against her, eliciting a gasp. Her eyes went unfocused, staring passed him as she went red. He analyzed his position. He could feel himself on the soft flat of her hips. _Warm…_ so _incredibly warm…_

He felt her breathing deepen. "I-is that…?" she asked.

He knew _exactly _what she was asking after, but pulling away, her boots only pressed harder into his back. Likewise, her hips rose to brush against him, and she gave a shudder before her eyes closed and she reached in to kiss him again.

He followed her motion, and she groaned as his own hips ground into her. They carried on. She squeaked into his mouth with every little motion as they touched. But eventually she broke away, nuzzling into his cheek.

"_What are you gonna do next?"_ she whispered.

"N-next? I'll… kiss you?"

She chuckled against him. _"And then…?"_

"I'll… touch…"

She mewled into his neck. _"Where are you gonna touch…?"_

"Y-your…"

She nodded. "Uh huh… _What are you gonna touch it with…?"_

"I-I-I…!"

She wormed her way up, and whispered directly in his ear as he shuddered. _"Take off your pants…"_

Oscar barely noticed the enormous, embarrassed grin plastering Ruby's face as she squirmed away from his gaze at her own suggestion. He was too busy sitting in utter shock, giving the barest twitch of a nod before he leaned back, his belt clinking as he unbuckled it.

Ruby bit her lip as her cheeks reddened. _"Oh my gosh…!"_ she breathed. Her hands fiddled behind her as she lifted back the hind side of her skirt. She hooked under the waistband of her panties and tugged.

She barely looked up when she heard the zip and rustle of Oscar's pants. Then she glanced down as he stopped, shivering, and saw…

Ruby's eyes rolled high, face going absolutely scarlet. _"Oh my GOSH…!"_

"U-um… so…" Oscar stammered, leaning forward. "Now…?"

"_Come here…!"_

Oscar obeyed, lifting his shackled hands over her head. She lifted her own, and continued lifting her back as he slipped his hands behind her. He found her own hands at the small of her back, and she clasped his sweetly.

"You ready…?" she asked.

"M-me? But _you…"_

She reached up and kissed him. "I'll be fine… just take it slow… You know what to do, right…?"

His lips slammed shut. He nodded, not meeting her eyes.

She sighed happily, coming cheek to cheek with him. _"Whenever you're ready…"_

He took a breath, and fidgeted with his hands behind her, lowering his hips.

Both gasped as he felt the heat of her bare skin below, and she felt something soft and firm nudge her delicately.

"_L-lower…!"_ she told him.

Oscar obeyed, pulling back until he felt something squishy and velvety. He pressed into it.

"_Mmmmf!"_ Ruby moaned, biting her lip to keep silent as Oscar prodded her sacred nub.

"A-are you hurt?! I'm sorry… I—"

She shook her head. "No, _too good…!"_

"Oh… okay," he said, then pressing more firmly.

Ruby's back arched as her hips stabbed at the sharp sensation, and she screamed into his neck to muffle the sound.

"_LOWER…!"_

"Huh…? But you said it felt—"

"_Yesbutit'snottherightplaceLOWER!"_

Startled, she felt the tip drag down again…

Oscar, attempting to comply and not blow the whole arrangement, felt himself catch once more on some part of her sticky flesh. He saw her eyes were suddenly like saucers, and made to apologize and continue lower… but as he tried, one of her hands squeezed.

"R-Ru…?" he stammered.

"Th-there…" she told him.

"Ok-kay… Do you want me to…?"

She gave a small but definite nod, closing her eyes and pursuing her lips expectantly.

As he sank into the kiss, Ruby felt the soft firmness at her valleys below press slightly with his shifting, and moaned into his mouth. She felt him shiver, and she did likewise. Ruby Rose was not a sexual being like her sister. The only real contact she had with her inconvenient crevice was her _monthly bill,_ and otherwise she'd only masturbated a few times _ever,_ and largely in the past year.

...The past few months, in fact.

So feeling foreign flesh try her little ring was odd, and intense, but it had only been a moment.

Their kiss was shallow, until she felt him squeeze her hand. She squeezed back.

"Mmmm_mmmmMMMPH…!"_

In a slow, but deliberate motion, she felt the intruder surge inward. Her little ring suddenly throbbed with heat, pain and that soaring sensation like pure sugar. She could feel her insides, glued together from neglect, gently splitting to house his tip. _He was inside her…_

A slip past the vice-like entry, and _he was inside her…!_ 'That was it,' Oscar thought, as Ruby's body tried halfheartedly slamming its door on his metaphorical foot. Otherwise, he felt her flesh suckling on him, as inviting a kiss as what her mouth was enjoying with him. She was so _warm _inside… He wanted more of her heat.

* * *

Blake's ears perked as she, Weiss and Yang examined every hinge and bolt in the entrance for weaknesses. She flushed pink. "Uh… Yang..?"

The blonde was frustrated, tapping every broad bit of steel. It was all solid. "Come on, there's _got_ to be some… _What, _Blake?"

"J… Just thought you should know, your sister's not a virgin anymore."

Weiss groaned. "You're sharing this _why?"_

Yang blinked. "Well _that _was… _quiet…_ Guess it's not like he'd be that big, huh?"

Weiss' face told a thousand tales. "And why are _you_ interested?!"

"She's my sister."

"_Exactly!"_ Weiss blurted. "You should want to _destroy _Oscar, not cheer him on as she's defiled!"

"As a little sister yourself, I think you're projecting, Weissy-hot…"

"_Ugh…!"_

* * *

"_Mmm…!"_ Ruby moaned, eyes snapping open, breaking the kiss as she felt the warm intruder wedging her apart on the move. "Aaauh…!" she quailed, as the pressure filling her ramped up at a startling speed. Her tense gates slickened the mass manifesting between her legs as it fed itself inside, and as wondrous as it was she felt a tinge of fear from the pressure, and the tension as she felt it widening.

But in seconds she felt his thighs settle against her own, and knew the mystery was over. This was all of him. She'd taken _all_ of him. She would have sighed in relief, but her breath still hitched as she worked to keep herself from squealing. Still, she was relieved to know there was an upper limit to the explosive sensations, as she tried adjusting.

Knowing how small her little lady tunnel was, she was astonished to find it felt like she'd been filled with a baseball bat. She throbbed around him, and the ring of her entrance did likewise, if in complaint from being so put to work after all these years of virginity...

Oscar was _deep…_ Ruby was like an ocean inside, with waves of slick, hot velvet gripping him in ripples. He could have kissed her, linked like they were, for _hours._

But Ruby broke from it, shaking like a twig, eyes rolling back and closing as she squeezed him. Breath ragged, her eyes opened and locked with his.

Somehow, in her haze she felt his hand squeezing hers again. There was a nervous tinge at the idea, but she knew exactly what he was asking… She slowly nodded.

"_Auuuugh…!"_

Electricity ran up her spine as he drew out of her, stretched-out muscles singing as they slackened in her belly… and then he slowly plunged back in.

"Aaaa— _Au-ahh…!"_

She swam in dopamine as he bottomed out again, her limbs twitching as he paused.

"Mmmmdon't stooop…!" she groaned, blushing as she realized the thought had actually escaped her lips. She didn't regret it though… Oscar was keen to obey.

His pace increased dramatically, and as such her euphoria couldn't fade. She squeaked and chirped with every thrust as her innards were jostled and jammed.

Ruby didn't like to acknowledge the sexual things she heard in movies, and for a long time she thought the whole affair was gross. But she had to admit, as Oscar was ever coated in her nectars, the term "polish his pole" felt ever more applicable…

Likewise, Oscar delighted at his crush mewling beneath him. The idea that he could inspire such feelings in her was sweeter even than her soft, supple flesh as he dipped into her honeyed heaven.

In fact, it was _all_ too much… too wonderful, and he couldn't find it in him to resist.

"_Nghh! U-ughhhhhh…!" _he groaned, locking his hips into hers as his nerves exploded, hands digging into her waist as he rode out the storm of his own making.

Ruby heard Oscar, slightly confused as he slammed into her and stopped. The cutout to her tap of pleasure awakened her from her addled state enough stare down herself, even though she couldn't actually see past her bunched-up skirt.

The only sensation she could feel in it all was a throbbing inside, beating like her heart, but out of sync with it too. A warmth was seeping through her, utterly unfamiliar. Oscar was gasping on top of her.

"Oscar…?"

"I… I'm sorry, I…"

"_Hey!"_ Yang shouted from across the room, suddenly incensed. "Don't think you're done, kid! _She_ hasn't had it yet!"

"O-okay, yeah, I can…" Oscar stuttered in panic. She felt him slide, suddenly _unbelievably _slick inside her.

And then it clicked with her, exactly what just happened. Oscar had _popped_ inside of her… _filled _her with his…

She practically _glowed_ red as she tried to think of a more polite word, but _'baby juice_' was all that came to her, and it was somehow _worse._

But all thought was obliterated as Oscar leaned in and kissed her, and she moaned into his mouth as he began thrusting again and again…

* * *

"Oh _eww!"_ Weiss commented, nose wrinkling. "I can smell… _her…"_

"Focus on the task at hand, then," Blake told her, her own face flushed. "But… _seriously _Yang? If we _do_ get out of here, Ruby could be _pregnant."_

"Yeah," Weiss agreed, "and you think she's the type to get rid of it? That girl is _way_ too romantic for that."

Yang growled. "Look, we'll cross that bridge when it comes! I just…" She calmed down considerably, taking a breath. "I just don't want her to miss out, okay? If we really can't save this…"

"Well you're gonna _have_ to cross it," Weiss said with a huff. "Because we're getting out of here."

Yang's eyes met hers, and she offered a smirk.

"_OOOOOOOOGHHHH…!"_

It had been two hours. Ruby climaxed for the third time, straddling the boy as she rode him. Oscar had tired out after they'd made love several times, and so they flipped sides to let her try. Both of them were sticky.

Ruby cooed as she lifted off him and he slipped from her insides. She got on her side, cuddling up to the boy with a giggle. "I think I really like this whole thing…"

Oscar, still dead exhausted, turned slowly to look at her with exasperation. Ruby's enjoyment couldn't have been _less_ of a mystery to anyone in the room. Weiss might have caught a whiff of her sex before, but Ruby's feminine musk now pervaded the entire hall, and _all_ of those not directly involved were quite busy pretending not to notice.

But suddenly there was a green flash, and Ruby stared back into eyes that weren't certain where they were. "Did I come at a bad time?"

Ruby, though quite hidden from the waist down, scrambled to slip her underwear back on, blushing all the harder for the 'squish' she felt once she had. "Uh…! N-not as bad as it would have been a minute ago…"

"Oh…" Ozpin said, suddenly aware of his exposure, and its wetness in the cool air. "I must admit, I hadn't in my wildest expected you'd _use_ the time to this… extent."

"We, uhhhh…"

Ozpin immediately turned away, fastening Oscar's pants and trying to ignore the young woman's excretions on his… _person_. "So, might I ask what we have?"

Blake's ears actually perked up, and the others smiled at each other. "We have _this spot."_ Blake said, tapping her foot towards the middle of the room.

"Yes?" Ozpin encouraged, not following.

"It's a blind spot between these Aura crystals," Weiss explained. "We can actually regenerate here."

"Yeah, we build up," Yang added, "kick _my_ semblance into high gear, and break for it!"

"Wait, _your_ semblance?" Ruby asked "But doesn't that mean..."

"It means these two are gonna rough me up some, and then I put my foot through one of these walls."

"Personally, I'd recommend the _door,"_ Ozpin opined. "You're likely to only have one shot at that."

Weiss nodded. "And then straight for that airship. I remember the way well enough."

Yang stretched her arms over her head with a sigh. "Alright, no pulling punches," she ordered, standing straight and offering her chin. "So Weiss, what are we talking with Neptune? Bratwurst, or cocktail?"

"_I beg your pardon?!"_

"Either way, surprised you sacked him at all; didn't think he swung that way. I mean, he _is_ deathly afraid of getting _wet."_

Yang's head swung as Weiss' fist connected with her jaw. The blonde only shook herself a bit before bobbing on her toes. "Oh come _on,_ I bet your daddy spanked you harder than _that…"_

Weiss leered, blushing. "For the record, I _know_ what you're doing… You're still a twat for it though…"

* * *

"O… Ozpin…?" Ruby asked, distracting herself as they all waited, Yang being repeatedly struck by Weiss and Blake, who in particular seemed conflicted over it.

"Hmm? Yes?"

"I…" Ruby began, feeling foolish. "You've… _died_ before, right?"

Oscar's eyes softened, nodding to himself imperceptibly. "Yes."

"And… in Jinn's vision, you mentioned…"

"...The Afterlife?"

She nodded, feeling dirtier than at any point in her escapade with Oscar. "I just… what's it all like?"

He sighed. "Dying itself can be… _terrifying,_ at least at first. You know you're fading, nothing feels _right, _and all your mind wants to focus on it. Humans are unique in their capacity to recognize death when it comes for them.

"_Death, _however, is remarkably oversold. The last moments are as gratifying as surrendering to your pillow after fighting all day to remain in the waking world."

Ruby couldn't help but smirk, though she wasn't wholly reassured. "And the…?"

"The Afterlife is at once as splendid as could be preached in any gospel… and also terrifically mundane. All reality is laid bare, surrendered to the every whim of yourself and others. Your _will_ creates and reforges your surroundings from moment to moment. You're capable of doing or experiencing quite literally _anything."_

"Hmm," she sighed, trying to conceive of it. "And the mundane part…?"

"After a while, your imagination begins to fail itself. Faced with the ability to do _anything, _even the ethereal mind runs out of ideas. This is, at first, easily alleviated by taking part in the paradise of others… but eventually you crave risk, challenge. Humans _thrive_ under adversity, Miss Rose. In the Afterworld, while our whimsy can conjure situations to _limit_ or _challenge _us, it is inescapable to know we can come to no true harm, and that no scenario we place ourselves in cannot be swiftly defeated with but a desire. Ultimately, a game isn't fun if you _know_ you can only _let_ your opponent win…"

Ruby and Oscar felt at once relieved and discouraged. It was bitter medicine to know even paradise lost its luster.

"Okay…!" Yang groaned, half woozy. "I think… I think that's the best we can do without breaking my Aura all over again."

Weiss nodded, looking to the others. "I bruised my knuckles… Are we ready to go?"

Ruby and Oscar shot up to their feet. "Yes," Ruby said. "We only get one shot at this, sis…"

"Yeah…" Yang said simply, hesitating before she blinked, eyes burning red.

With a dash, Yang threw her punch, the steel door buckling like it wasn't there at all.

...On the other side was a dark green wall… or what looked like one.

Startled, Yang swung again, but a huge arm shot out and held her fast. "She said you might try that…" Hazel Reinhardt grumbled, before tossing her back inside with a grunt. He turned to heft a stone slab in front of the doorway.

"_Wait, PLEASE!"_ Blake shouted.

"_We'll DIE!"_ Weiss added, devastated by this turn of events.

Hazel didn't respond, and Yang lost all composure, bursting into tears and hammering on the slab with her bare fists. The knuckles of her left were quickly turning red.

"It's miserable, isn't it?"

Everyone turned. The door to the rotunda had opened without their notice, and Salem's red eyes fanned over them all… but they held on Yang. "The lingering hope you let yourselves have. Foolish."

Ruby looked to Salem's flat midsection. "Neo… she's…?"

Salem idly swept a hand over herself. "Gone. What were you expecting? Come, _Ozma…"_

With a gesture, Oscar cried out as he was tugged by some invisible force. Ruby reached for him, too late.

"_SALEM, WAIT! DON'T DO IT!"_

She couldn't share a single word with the boy before the door shut on her, and Oscar disappeared with the old Witch.

* * *

"I've wanted you like this for a great while, _my love…_ Stop hiding behind the boy." A clawed hand hovered over Oscar's face, and the farmhand felt his consciousness forced to take the back seat.

"I'm not hiding," Ozpin sighed. "The _'boy_' has precious time left… Am I to take from him what both of us have been given in such tragic abundance?"

"_You're _the one who doomed him," Salem retorted. "Though, rid of you, he's unlikely to have much life left regardless."

"It surprises me that you _care,"_ Ozpin seethed. "So keen to judge me for the people I've failed, when you _never_ cared for the ones who came after."

Salem leered. "I _don't_ care. None of these neuters left after can mean anything after my _beautiful _children… _You're _the one whose heart hammers every time you think on your sins against that rabble, even as you carry on treating them for pawns… Pathetic, how well my needling works on you…"

"Perhaps I _was_ wrong," Ozpin suggested. "I was so afraid of how willing you were to do harm, and the influence you could have on our girls… But I never imagined what you would do in your fury…"

"What_ I…?!"_ Salem began, eyes widening in anger. "You had already poisoned them against me, and so they were _already DEAD!_ Like every ignorant you spur to your heel!"

"You _ignore_ your part in it," Ozpin stated, shaking Oscar's head. "Is this _mourning,_ then?"

"You think I have no heart?!" Salem demanded, looming. "I see our daughters' ghosts ripple throughout the ages, and even used against me as another skin cloaks itself in the power we gave them! You think I, not _disgusted _to look upon Cinder, wearing the soul of our little one?! Yet you _demand_ I countenance this monstrosity to reach your trinkets… And _I_ am the unfeeling?"

"Yes, I had hoped it would dissuade you," Ozpin admitted. "But to say I forced your hand… you truly _are _incapable of looking inward, to mending your own ways…

"But how can I blame you? I robbed you of any call you had left to be reasonable… and for that, generations have suffered."

Salem scoffed. "An admission of failure… I suppose that's as near to my desire as could be had… Now shall we become one, for the last time?"

"Wait…" Ozpin asked, closing his eyes.

She raised a brow. "Were _you_ not the one spouting off about an overabundance of time?"

"No, I was," Ozpin agreed. "But the boy is blameless in this. I'm certain the fate you have in store for me precludes my reincarnation… and I'm prepared for it. I was prepared the moment we were captured.

"But Oscar has not shared in my sins, nor does he deserve my fate. I don't expect you'll let him survive… but spare him the worst."

Salem fixed him with a long, piercing stare. A hand reached out to palm the boy's cheek… which shifted to cover his mouth. "As you wish…"

"_G-good… goodbye, Oscar…"_

Oscar Pine screamed into the hand as it pried his mouth open, and he felt something awful and wrong as every nerve ending flowed up and out. It felt like his skin was being flayed off. He convulsed, barely aware of his surroundings.

And then it was over.

In an instant, he had only the phantom of the pain in him as he fell back. Above him, Salem's fist shuddered as it clenched, a green glow around it receding as she sighed.

Oscar shivered uncontrollably. He felt nauseous… empty… and utterly alone. He barely could remember what he was doing there.

"You're free, boy," Salem told him.

"W-what did you _do…?"_ Oscar asked. "Why do I feel so…?"

Salem paced idly, calmer and quieter than even _she_ generally was. "I've spared you… It wasn't simple, of course. It was beginning to muddle, that line where _he_ ended and _you_ began. I had to take a bit more of _your_ soul than _his._ Couldn't risk missing anything. But congratulations, child: you're free from his curse, and entirely yourself now."

Oscar couldn't help it. He almost felt _betrayed._ Cut away completely, forced to eek out the remainder of his time alone. The one consolation in all of this was he wouldn't die _alone…_ "I-I… feel sick…"

Salem nodded. "Yes… Sadly, there's no point saving you beyond this. What's been done to your soul is beyond mending. So torn, you'll not last. But all will be well in the hereafter… Now come…"

Salem's form shot up again, the same size as when she consumed Neo. He vaguely recalled how he and the woman were roughly the same size with a chill. His shackles dropped off and his clothing shredded like paper around him, suddenly freezing.

He felt himself lifted to his feet, but unable to support himself. It didn't seem to matter to the Queen, who readily supported his spine and cupped a hand under his backside, pressing him against her… _surprisingly _warm body.

As much as she had labored to rid him of Ozpin's person, Oscar felt a flash of memory. A flash of the love Ozpin felt as they bore their four children… It brought him immediately back to not hours ago, happily conjoined to Ruby as she lay beneath him…

The thought was enough to accompany him, as he was raised up, a waft of breath upon his face. He was still terrified… but at least he should get out of the cold…

Salem's lips engulfed the boy's head down to the neck, guiding him to the pit of her throat until she'd sealed them upon his shoulders. He only groaned in her mouth as she slathered his head and hair. The lacking resistance was convenient, but curious to her.

She swallowed.

'_Mmm-mmph…!'_ Oscar groaned from her esophagus, twitching in surprise, and for a moment Salem was certain the lad would realize his situation and fight her. It had happened before, as her throat was stronger than it seemed, and infrequently a wakeup call for victims who thought themselves brave or resigned.

But even as his sternum settled onto her tongue, teeth threatening to graze his navel, he seemed to settle rather than panic. Probably he understood he was already fading. No point fighting the inevitable. With such compliance and no womanly hips to work past, she could finish him rather quickly… if she chose.

Though as much as she could imagine savoring him, she _did_ have an awful lot to get to today. It wasn't nothing for her to devour so many and digest them so fast, and as such she didn't do it often. In fact, Cinder only knew about this penchant of hers because of what she'd done to Cinder's predecessor, having failed one too many times. Perhaps this was why dear young Emerald had regarded the Queen with such fear.

Either way, Ozma was already gone, victory assured. She could afford to indulge this base instinct for a day…

The boy groaned as she worked his ribs down, arms stuck, but placid. Her lips glided over his smooth midsection as her hands held under his knees.

And then, taking another deep swallow, she felt something hook her bottom lip as she drew in his hips.

_Oh dear_.

Well _that_ might be another cause for the boy's calmness. She let her mouth yawn wide to admit him down to his buttocks, his head oozing down below her chest. She let her tongue press up.

"_Mmmmmm…"_ he groaned within.

Ozpin's thrall was _rigid_ in the loins, his hips worming between her jaw and pallet in the first selfish act he'd made so far.

She… humored him, lavishing him with her tongue to prepare him for descent, but subtly running over his virility. She was forced to linger, though, as she detected an abundance of another flavor there.

Salem did not particularly abide women lying with women, but having consumed a number of nubile maidens —of the non-magical variety— she was _quite_ aware of the flavor of a woman's carnal essence.

The boy was _slathered _in it, _basted_ in pungent nectars trailing to his thighs. It seemed the boy had taken her advice, and _known_ one of those girls quite vigorously.

It wasn't done in pity either. The lucky girl's honeys ran readily, it seemed. It was love _quite_ requited. Admitted. _Fulfilled._

She felt a twinge of regret. It was hypocritical of her to take the lass' love like this… but it couldn't be helped. The boy would die, and nothing could change that.

She couldn't hear him anymore, he was too deep. Still she felt the rumble of his voice as _another_ flavor graced her tongue, his member pounding against her muscle.

She blinked, half amused, half resigned. _That's quite enough of that._

Salem seized his ankles and pitched her head up, swallowing in earnest. She got her throat around his hips, and from here the rest of him was little more than formality. His thighs were drawn down, the shapes in her neck undulating as it conformed to then. Then the knees…

Before Oscar could do more than groan in harmony with the stomach enveloping him, his feet were in her mouth. Salem could scarcely deliver the final swallow, as the boy himself pulled his legs the last of the way through, and began to settle inside.

Salem shrank back down, massaging her belly, laden with the boy. She sighed. "It's a shame. Truly. Though I cannot wholly attribute the ease of your consumption to obedience. A part of you quite enjoys this…"

"_Mmm… mmmhmm,"_ Oscar agreed.

"The girl… your love… Who was it?"

Oscar was silent a moment. _"Are… you going to hurt her if I tell you…?"_

Salem took a breath. _"Aside_ from a slow and agonizing digestion, you mean?"

"_Please…"_

"Ah-ah-ah," Salem admonished. "No greater harm will come, but their fate is as certain as your own, child. Take heart… she'll join you in eternity soon."

"_...Ruby… I love… Ruby…"_

"The Silver Eyed girl?" Salem concluded, brow rising. "Yes, I suppose you _would._ I'm surprised a girl like her would surrender her chastity so… Humanity seems to change every time I blink.

"Settle in. I'm to understand it's easier if you try to sleep… but I cannot promise that you won't suffer."

* * *

The doors opened again, and the four ladies' hearts sank.

"_O-oh no…!"_ Weiss moaned, slamming her eyes shut against the sight.

"_Oscar…"_ Ruby whispered. She couldn't stop it. She stared at the lump in Salem's middle. She saw it twitch. _Her friend was in there, still alive. EATEN._

Her hand covered her mouth as she collapsed onto her front, but her fingers clawed into it as she felt herself shaking, and she couldn't stop the tears. Her teeth gnashed as she noisily breathed through her nose.

"_God… DAMN IT…! _You _evil BITCH!"_ Yang blurted, slamming her still-bloodied knuckles into the stone.

Salem blinked. "You were _quite aware_ what was to happen. In fact, you're lucky the boy is so whole, while the _man…_ Well… the _man's _worries are quite over, in this or _any_ world."

Those who could bear the sight stared.

"What… what does _that_ mean?" Blake asked, herself fighting not to let Salem see her tears.

Salem sighed. "I did what I could _not_ to dole the same fate delivered unto Ozma. Their souls are separated again. The boy will enter the Afterlife quite normally, rather than join his captor in oblivion."

Yang growled. "If you're so worried about _saving _him, then why'd you still _EAT HIM?!"_

"Rending a _soul_ isn't something you walk off," Salem explained, weary she had to do so again. "In doing so I saved his immortal soul, but nothing can prevent the consequences. The boy will die, regardless what happens."

Ruby couldn't help betraying a sob. _He was dying… He was all alone and dying…_

"Girl," Salem said unhelpfully, "the boy's lover?"

Ruby dared to look up. Salem took it as acknowledgment.

"He's still quite alive for now. I _will_ take my leave… but in the interest of comfort… will you speak with him a final time?"

Ruby stared, on her knees now. Salem's hand beckoned her close. Ruby nodded.

Yang shuffled, ready to get to her feet, but Weiss and Blake each put a hand on her shoulders. "The hell, you want _thirds?!_ Don't listen, Ruby!"

But Ruby couldn't ignore the offer. Shaking, tear-streaked, she walked over to Salem. The Witch put a hand to her cheek, making the girl flinch, but slowly let her ear be guided and pressed against the burgeoning belly.

Ruby listened against Salem, the rushing noises from within indiscernible. "O-Oscar…?"

The solid mass stirred against her. _"Ruby…?"_

She couldn't help but gasp, and her tears ran fresh. "Are… are you _okay…?"_

"_...N-no… it's… it's dark in here, and it's starting… nggg! It's starting to burn a little… I-it's okay though. You heard what she said, nothing can stop it now. I… I have to go away."_

Ruby shuddered with tears, trying what she could to hug the awkward mass. It wasn't lost on her that Oscar himself had shrunk down when Salem returned to proper size.

"_Ruby, d-don't… it's okay, I'll wait for you… on the other side… however long it takes…"_

"I'll find you…! I-I _promise…!"_ Ruby said, her eyes wetting Salem's front.

"_Ruby… I love you…"_

She gave a loud sniff. _"I-I… l-l-love you t...too…"_

"That's enough," Salem said, turning to leave, and leaving Ruby to kneel there, stunned and shaking. "I couldn't keep a clear conscience without letting you both say your goodbyes."

"Salem, pl—"

The Witch turned on a dime. "Are you going to simper and winge at my feet for every life in this room, girl? Carry on and I'll silence you until _your_ time is come…

"Also," she added, her eyes locking with Yang's, _"you're _next…"

The girl in gold froze. Her nails dug into her own palm, nearly breaking skin.


	3. Immolation

"Oscar…"

Ruby watched the spot where Salem left, belly filled with the boy she only _now_ on his dying day had confessed and given herself to.

Slowly, she broke down, sob after sob as she collapsed onto her elbows. Ruby could still feel the sticky tack of his seed, trying to leak out of herself. An unseen hand reached 'twixt her nethers and clapped over her sodden undies… It was all she had left of him.

Suddenly Ruby was flanked on both sides by Yang and Blake, arms around her in comfort. Out of nowhere she threw herself into Yang's chest.

"I-I barely got to tell him…!" Ruby mourned. "We could have b-been together…! It's not f-fair…! I-it's…"

Yang stroked her head, her own mouth twisting to avoid the pained face she was desperate to betray. "Ruby, it's… it's okay."

"No it's not…"

"Ruby, Oscar's _free."_ Blake offered. "He'd have just been taken over by Ozpin if he'd lived to grow up with you. You don't _love_ Ozpin, but he'd be what was left."

"It's not _fair…"_ Ruby repeated. "He deserved so much better than this…!"

Yang backed up seeking her eye. "But if not for Ozpin, you'd have never _met_ Oscar… and Salem would probably have won anyway, and… at least he got to know you… and _love _you… Some people never get that chance."

"Are you talking about Blake…?" Weiss suddenly suggested.

Yang's eyes flew open, cheeks pink. "Yu-ju-_wha?!"_

Blake turned, floored, to stare between Weiss and the accused. "What… is she talking about?"

Yang snapped her head around. "I don't know! What the _hell,_ Weiss?!"

The Schnee ducked her head. "I-I don't know, stab in the dark! I see how you two look at each other since Argus! We're all going to die anyway, we already opened the door to sex stuff in front of everyone, and in case the rest of you forgot, _Yang_ is the next in line for the 'Esophagus Express!' "

"Gee, thanks for the reminder," Yang droned bitterly, "nice bedside manner too."

"What? _You_ were the one all raring to fuck—"

"_OKAY, ENOUGH!"_ Blake shouted, stopping the rabble all at once. "I-instead of bickering… Yang…?"

"_What?"_

"_Calm down…! _What… what do _you_ think?"

Yang blinked. "Think?"

"You're the important one in this situation… and… I might not be entirely closed-minded about the idea of us…"

Yang went uncharacteristically red. "I… I don't know… I mean… I guess I've always _wondered,_ but…"

Blake's ear twitched awkwardly. "Well, then…"

"I want to be _clear!"_ Yang snapped, deathly serious. "I am _NOT_ interested in a _pity-fuck_, okay? If we do this, it's because we both _want to."_

Blake went quiet as Yang waited. Ruby sniffed as she disengaged from it all.

"I… _do_ feel differently about _us_ since Adam," Blake admitted. "I don't _know_ if that difference is romantic… but I'd hate to die without the answer."

Yang nodded. "Yeah… I mean, been with a bunch of guys, and none 'em really… _clicked,_ y'know? But… maybe a _guy_ was my problem…"

Yang's hand landed on Blake's, and the faunus girl turned her palm up bashfully. They stared at each other. Then Blake spluttered.

"Uh… again, I'm only _so_ certain how this works, but… if you wanted to start with massaging my ears…?"

The brawler chuckled.

Blake looked away. "What? They're an erogenous zone…"

Yang smirked. "Which set?"

"Any of them, but I prefer…" Blake stared up, her feline ears wiggling.

Yang complied, both hands reaching up to set themselves against Blake's hair, thumbs searching. Blake's head slumped into Yang's chest.

"Whoa!" Yang exclaimed, surprised, but beginning to rub the black ears between her thumbs and forefingers. "Making a move, who said you were 'top?' "

Blake sighed, nuzzling into the crease of Yang's cleavage. "Top? Isn't that just a _guy_ thing?"

"_Dom_ then, whatever," Yang corrected. "If we wrestle, you _know_ who's gettin' the _pin."_

Blake blushed at the idea. "I might have more experience… but that's experience as a _sub._ You _don't_ want me to service you?"

Yang flushed. "I… hadn't thought about it like that. A'ight…"

With that, Yang leaned back as Blake slowly disrobed her… only to realize the effort was in vain. With their hands bound together, the best they could manage was to wad up Yang's duster at the chains.

"Hold up…" Yang said, before grabbing both ends of the fabric and grunting as she tore it off.

"Oh!" Blake cried, surprised and sad. "Yang, your…"

Yang shrugged as the duster fell to pieces, leaving her only in her orange undershirt. "Eh… it's barely comfortable indoors anyway. _This_ is more important."

Blake's old jacket from before had been destroyed in the fight with Adam, and she'd settled for a prison-striped sweater. It was rather harder for Yang to pull off —though Blake was unwilling to let it be destroyed— and it left her only with her brasier.

Blake looped her chained hands and wadded sweater behind Yang's head, but stopped around her neck. The blonde took this as a moment to pull her great mane of hair up through the gap to freely flow over her shoulders, but Blake stammered hesitantly.

"What?' Yang asked.

"I… just thought… If we take these _off,_ they're going to be nearly _impossible _to put back on later."

Yang considered it… and shrugged. "So? Whose to impress? Hell, might just go commando. You saw that Torchwick girl, she was totally naked for it."

"I… uh…"

Yang shook her head, chuckling. "Task at hand, puss-puss."

"R-right…" With that, Blake reached 'neath the back of Yang's shirt, plucking away at the article within. In moments, the bra slipped out from under her shirt to be left on the floor.

Yang fixed her with a smirk, encouraging her as she lifted the undershirt to fully reveal her naked nips in all their bounding abundance. Blake's nose was between them in a slow, deliberate motion as Yang quickly unfastened the faunus' own sweater bunnies. And in seconds, Yang's finger was lifting her chin, and lilac eyes found yellow.

"Hey… Before we open up, how about a pace lap… I _gotta_ know…"

Yang's eyes slowly closed, leaving her lips parted as she leaned in. Blake more than took the hint, ears folding over as they met in the center.

The kiss was quiet, cautious. Their tongues tapped as their lips formed a brief seal, tugged and pulled apart.

They exhaled, laughter escaping as a nervous puff of breath.

"Hmm…" Yang intoned thoughtfully. "Alright, so it's not sandpaper. That'll make some of this easier."

Blake snorted and laughed. "Really? Do you expect me to _purr_ too?"

Yang gave a low hum. "One way or another…"

Blake's eyes went huge as her ears pricked up, a reddening in her cheeks sealing the deal as Yang fixed her with a hungry gaze. The shark had her taste of blood, and they'd reap the looming frenzy.

This time Yang's cuffed hands —incapable of much else— pulled her forward by her back, and Yang initiated the kiss at full force, leaving Blake to groan as she surrendered to it, tongue dancing against its intruder.

But Yang wasn't done. Blake heard a scraping on the floor followed by an insistent prod between her knees. She relented, groaning as Yang's own knee spread them, following her inner thighs home. It wasn't lost on her either that Blake's own left knee was making a similar pilgrimage between Yang's by design. Getting the point, she hefted herself forward as well, and both nestled hip to hip in seconds, feeling the heat of the other's groin upon them at last.

Yang was the first to abandon shyness and nearly lifted Blake off the floor with her knee, hands pressed firm against the small of her back as she ground into her partner.

_"Mmmmmm…!" _Blake groaned into Yang's mouth, which chirped its own chuckle even with their mouths sealed together.

They carried on, their breasts finally mashing together as they rocked back and forth, breath only wafting from their nostrils in frantic puffs every several seconds.

But finally Blake broke the bond, nipping low to plant a feathery kiss under her chin, then tracing her tongue up the jawline to Yang's earlobe.

_"Ohhh…" _Yang moaned, eyes tossed back. "God, we are gonna _rock…"_

Blake snorted, before leaning her head down.

Yang, overlooking the scene, smiled knowingly. "Oh, I get it… kitty needs her saucer, huh?"

"Yep," Blake answered without argument, turning an eager and curious mouth upon Yang's erect nipple, earning a flip of blonde hair as she tossed her head back and moaned.

Yang recovered and flipped her head back as Blake continued to nip and nuzzle, letting a curtain of hair fall over their heads as Yang set her chin upon her lover's crown and let her own tongue brush the velvety surface of the feline ears, which twitched and flapped as their owner squirmed.

Yang's hands reached down to cup Blake's buttocks as their thighs ground into each other's nethers. She took one good squeeze before slipping her fingers under Blake's pants and fondling the soft skin they hid. Blake took the escalation in stride, nose rubbing the sternum between Yang's bosoms with added intensity. The brawler spread and kneaded her ample backside with enthusiasm… and then a wandering middle finger sought a greater prize.

Blake's eyes shot open as she felt it, something bluntly wiggling its way inside as her body gripped it like a vice. _"Mmn…! Y-Yang…?!"_

"Uh huh?" she asked in return, the intruder sliding deeper.

Blake's voice quieted to a stern whisper. _"Ngg…! That's my ASS…!"_

"What? You don't like it?" she asked, leaning back to meet Blake's eye seriously.

"N-no, I… it's just a bit _fast…"_

"Supposedly we're all getting gobbled up before the night's out, what's the point of inhibitions?" Yang asked, finger still stirring where no light could escape. "Uh… just don't try that on _me…_ I didn't use the bathroom before we got into this mess, soooo…"

Blake's ears and nose wrinkled at the statement. "Thanks for sharing…?"

There was a silence as Yang continued to diddle her. She breathed in the scent of Yang's breasts. Her knees squeezed. " 'Kay, _fuck it."_

Blake moved so fast she might have used her shadow semblance, decoupling from Yang in a second and throwing her onto her side. RWBY's powerhouse blinked before she heard the clink of her belt and felt an insistent tug at her hips. Looking back, she smiled illicitly as Blake pulled her pants down, aiding her in kicking them off as they clung to her legs. Then fingers wound under her waistband and she cooed as cool air finally passed over her pelvic area.

Blake took note, blushing as she was to unveil Yang's sex, that her panties peeled away from her engorged labia with a visible thread of essence only snapping away once the garment had reached her thighs. Then she noted the hefty musk that accompanied it. Then her eyes were drawn higher.

"O-oh my g…!"

Yang crossed her hands behind her head, blushing proudly. "What? Like it, or jealous?"

"Th-the… how did you do the… the _hair?"_

What Blake beheld was certainly unique. Yang's carpet certainly matched the drapes for color, but it also threaded into golden curls. Not a messy, wooly shrub, but a well manicured garden.

"Every morning, every night, same as I do with my head," Yang explained. "Always proud of the hair, and believe it or not… Dad knew that well enough that the first half of _the talk_ was him explaining pubic hair to me so I wouldn't freak out or start telling people about it. Puberty was _rough."_

Then Yang lifted Blake's knees to lie her flatly down, and with the faunus girl spluttering, lifted her own over her partner's head to the other side. "Like what you see…?"

Blake's vision was dominated by Yang's bottom, glistening petals threatening to drip on her as their owner wiggled. "U-um… it's definitely _new, _I…"

"I mean, this is what you were going for, right?"

"Y-yeah, it's just… I've never done this before."

"You gonna be okay if I put her down?"

Blake went crimson as she divined her meaning. But now was no time to be timid. "Go for it…"

Then Yang reddened, but smiled in anticipation as she widened her knees and let herself slide down down down, gently aiming herself onto Blake's wide-eyed face.

"Ohhhhhh…!" Yang sighed in surprise as Blake's hot tongue molded to her sex, carefully fiddling her folds even as her hips adjusted for optimal contact. "Haaa…! Ah…! _Fuck…!"_

Blake, inexperienced as she was at pleasuring another girl, at least knew to focus her attack nearest her own chin, sneaking in a swallow of Yang's copious juices. The musk was nearly overwhelming with her nose effectively penetrating the blonde. She'd already resolved to close her eyes for this, seeing almost nothing but Yang's anus directly before her. Her mouth widened to engulf much of the larger labia, and Yang quietly swore again before…

Blake murmured into Yang as the latter's hips began swaying to and fro. _She was humping Blake's face!_

Hands shaking, Yang worked off Blake's belt and fought her pants off. Then she rolled up her panties, appreciating Blake's stubbled but clearly groomed front before placing her right hand under the small of her back.

Blake moaned in surprise as her hips were lifted off the floor with ease, putting her into a piledriver position as she felt Yang's true hand around her thigh, breath on her sex. But instead of a hot tongue, she felt fingers probing her slick anus again… and another pair clawing in tandem as they sank into her love tunnel.

She risked a flick of tongue on Blake's clit, noting the strong, sour scent and flavor as the faunus squeaked into her cooch. It only prompted her to love Blake's mouth a shade slower before she let her fingers go wild inside and gave the tiny nub an intimate kiss.

She groaned in need as Blake responded _very_ positively to the attention. Truthfully, as much as she might have suspected, she didn't _know _Blake was into butt stuff… nor had Yang actually fingered someone's backdoor before, curious as she was. The sight of her fingers vanishing into Blake's glistening flesh was spellbinding. She pulled her lover's hips against her, breasts and stomach sliding over Blake's soft skin. Men were often hairy, rough… but Blake's body was sex itself.

She ground faster and faster onto Blake's obedient tongue, breath ragged as she tried keeping pace… but it was too intense even for Yang Xiao Long to match.

_"A— Aaaugh…! Oghhhhhn…! F-fuuuuuuuck…!"_ Yang's breath hitched as she froze and shook, every muscle of her pelvic floor squeezing in blissful agony as she settled further onto Blake's head. She barely recognized herself spasming and falling face-first into Blake's kitten as she dropped her from the piledriver position. Her fingers met cool air as they unconsciously slipped from her partner's body, and she flopped on top of her.

Moaning uncontrollably, she only vaguely noticed Blake untangling herself, only to flip Yang gently onto her back. She felt hot skin sliding over her own as Blake's face came into view above her, barely smiling before leaning in, lips pressed against her own.

Even addled from her orgasm, Yang wanted nothing better. Both wrapped their arms and heaved their naked bodies into each other as their tongues met, lusciously savoring the other's lips.

After a particularly intense separation, Yang muttered. "Oh _god_, I think I love y— this."

Blake hadn't missed the slip, giggling. "We can rush a _lot_ of things… I don't think _that's _one of them… but…"

Blake cozied further against Yang, reaching for her ear, face red. _"I DO want you inside me."_

Yang froze only a moment before drunkenly giggling. "Uhh, okay, I'll bite. How?"

Blake slid her hand up Yang's false arm, reaching past the painted prosthetic to circle the beginnings of her true flesh. "Th-this…"

Yang looked to her, floored, Blake clearly embarrassed to suggest it. But Yang spelled it out. "You want to fuck my _stub?"_

Blake looked away, expecting the worst. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, nevermind, I—"

_"Bullshit,_ I know it's got some atrophy, but you can _not_ shove that up there… For real?"

Blake dared to look. Yang was talking _logistics? _"I can certainly _try."_

"Holy crap, that is messed up… and weird… and kinky… and screw it, I'm in."

Nearly laughing, there was a hiss as Yang decoupled her limb, only to leave a steel covered stub.

"It's not… it won't _hurt_ it, right?" Blake asked as Yang windmilled the amputation slightly.

"Nah, it's drilled right into the end of the bone," she clarified. "They did it before I even got to Patch. Nobody told me it was for a full-on replacement though. Connected all the nerve endings while I was under.

"O-okay," Blake affirmed, scooting forward on her knees.

"Why so nervous?" Yang asked, holding the limb out high. "It _was_ your idea…"

"I know, I know…" Blake said, shuffling until the steely bulb touched her. She slid over its cool surface, Yang doing her best to anchor her shoulder and align.

Blake settled slightly upon it, hips swaying as she let her body grease the ways. Viscous dribbles coated the steel, dripping onto Yang's skin at the margins.

"Y'know it's okay," Yang said suddenly, quite serious. "You don't have to if you can't do it."

Blake's ears folded in annoyance as she glared at her.

"That's _not_ a challenge!" Yang clarified. "You don't have… to…"

"Hnng! _Nggg-Agh!~"_ Blake shuddered, mouth parting as her nether flesh rippled, and she sighed as the steely end vanished from sight.

_"Holy fuck…!"_ Yang breathed, feeling tight wet flesh on all sides of the tip of her stump.

_"Aaaaaaaauuugg…!"_ Blake groaned as she lifted her knees yet higher, driving the bisected bicep deeper and deeper as her flesh undulated around it.

Yang watched, unblinking as Blake's knees spread, one against her chest, the other beside her head as Blake bottomed out. The faunus' scent was heavy from where she lay. Essence dripped into her armpit from the source mere inches above. Blake's thigh rested against her head, eyes full of the lewd act, and above her crotch, belly and bosom towered as their owner stared down.

She sat, wondering, _shocked._ "You _SLUT…! _You were NOT that stretchy before! _How…?!"_

Blake could tell the insult was in good humor. "Faunus come in… a _lot_ of sizes… so… we're _compatible _with a lot of sizes…"

"Shhh...shhh…" Yang insisted, determined not to ruin the moment. "Ride 'em, catgirl…"

Blake giggled before obeying, eyes rolling back as she gently fucked herself on Yang, one hand on the blonde's breast with the other on her knee.

Yang laid back, enthralled. Never had she so regretted her sex if she could behold such an erotic display and not _squirm _with pleasure for taking part in it. Her arm felt every inch of jiggling insides as they squeezed it, Blake taking and releasing it with greater and greater speed.

She could only enjoy the touch of Blake's hand on her chest. Her lips were out of reach… the top set anyway.

Taking a breath, Yang took charge, immense strength lifting a surprised and _very_ aroused Blake by her pussy and guiding her onto her back and further.

"Oghh— _Mmm!"_ Blake grunted as her hips were lifted again, Yang supporting a leg as she sat up to drive herself into her partner fully. "P-iledriver ag-gain…?"

Yang sat satisfied with herself as she nodded, thrusting softly. "I like access…"

With a thrill, Yang's mouth sucked at the penetrated flesh, trailing lower until—

_"Ohhhhh…!"_ Blake cooed, feeling her drying anus suddenly wetted by the hot, wriggling organ as it pressed in. "Y-y-you're _predictable, but… mmmmn…_ you're _really _pushing my buttons right now."

Yang grinned evilly, tongue still fighting its way inside. "Ah yeeeh?" she slurred, ultimately removing her wicked muscle and bringing up her hand. "Is _butt-fisting_ predictabl—?!"

Blake went white. _"What?! NononoNO! You'll rip me open!"_

"Huh? But you said…"

"The _front_ stretches, Yang! My ass is no looser than yours!"

Yang sulked. "Awwww, well… _shit, _that sucks… But… _not_ letting this go to waste…"

With a lewd sucking noise, Yang wrenched free of Blake's body, replacing it swiftly with her own fingers. Blake nodded, and then her jaw dropped as Yang's hand slowly sank inside.

Yang felt around in fascination at the silky slick flesh as her fingers wove through it. From this perspective, she could now tell that Blake's sex was firm, but pliable. Wet with fornication, entering was easy even as she felt around inside Blake's heat… but given the already firm grip on her wrist, she suspected escape would be different.

Blake's legs fanned before her, hanging lewdly as she moaned. "R-rub my 'G'... on the pubic… bone…"

Yang snorted. "I _know_ where the sweet spot is, I've gotone too… I've got a trick for ya first…"

Blake blinked, red in the nose as Yang scooted, dragging her along as they approached the wall and its devil may care assortment of white candles strewn along the wall.

"Check this out…" Yang ordered, scooting until she was where she wanted to be. Blake looked, confused, until she saw Yang's hips hovering over the tepid flame of a particularly tall candle.

"W-what are—"

_"Nnn-NGGGnnn…!" _

Blake watched in deep concern as Yang's vagina imbibed the candle's tip with a hiss, and she felt her own nethers clamp sympathetically into Yang's wrist. "Oh my _god!"_

Yang panted, but kept descending until she'd taken half of it, hips wiggling to snap off the base. "You're not the _only _one with a pussy party trick. I call it the 'Douser…' "

"Why?!"

Yang ignored her question. "Yeah… drip that wax into all the little crannies… and…" She grinned, evidently pleased. "...Now I'm ribbed for your pleasure…"

She hovered the broken end of her new toy above candle flame, softening the harsh edges and reshaping the wax, pausing only to let it drip and dry before lying back, setting Blake down gently before slipping her hand out of her. With a hiss she reattached her false arm, and then both arms pulled Blake's hips over her own. She pointedly poked Blake under the tailbone with the candle tip, and she sighed.

"You _really _won't be satisfied until you've had me up the back, will you?"

Yang smiled. "Nuh-uh…"

Another sigh. "Well, at _least_ you prepared me… Nnng…!" She shoved against the tip, spearing her sphincter upon it as she grabbed the prosthetic hand, which slowly pulled her closer, deeper. Yang's left hand returned to slide inside Blake's body with a moan, and the rest came naturally.

They're chests heaved as Blake bounced over the substitute man-tackle, lost in the blissful haze as she received full-blown anal while Yang fisted her frontside. Already the blow was coming, and she was thankful for Yang's hand that she had an excuse for succumbing to the forbidden rapture she felt in her underutilized anus—

_"Ooooghhhhhh!"_

_Yeeeeees— _Wait, that wasn't _her…_

And then Blake yelped as she felt it, Yang's second orgasm triggering her semblance and— Well, the important thing was the candle suddenly MELTED. Yang's end liquified instantly, running up the space for the wick all the way to _her_ end, and Yang's clenching lady muscles forced molten wax through this cavity. In short: the candle _came_ _in her._ Hot wax hit the back of her rectum moments before the entire instrument sodomizing her softened and _burned._

_It burned so GOOD…_

_"AUUUUGH…! HEEEEGHHHNNNNG!" _Her spasming body slammed down on Yang's wrist as she came. She barely vocalized confusion as Yang (from inside and out) lifted her hips in the air again, watching intently.

She wondered why, but then gasped as she felt Yang push the last solid bit of candle inside her gaping hole… Or she _assumed _gaping, as she felt the near-scalding liquid wax pooled on her backside gurgle as it drained inside her. She could _feel_ it coating and dripping down her innards, shaping her bowel as it cooled. And ultimately, as her body closed she felt it all harden, starting with her exit. It might as well have been glued shut.

"Ooh, yeah…" Yang cooed, face flushed as she admired her work. "Now _that's _the Yang seal of approval."

Blake reached up to feel the wax coating now blocking up her digestive tract. "Well… that's… _new…_ Mmnng…! If we somehow get out of this, _your _ass is on the line after I find a way to… nggg… _poop_ all that back out…"

"Yeah, you're pretty corked. But hey, if we don't, it's something to remember me by…"

* * *

Weiss had made a point of covering Ruby's ears the entire time the salacious stint took off, sitting them by the blocked door. She wasn't sure how successful she was, as said ears definitely burned the longer it happened. Weiss herself was stunned into silence. As she'd mentioned, she wasn't a virgin, but… _those two_ had taken things to a level of kink outside her limits.

Yang finally approached —clothed thankfully— and locked eyes with her.

"So, uh…"

"Sit with your sister," Weiss demanded quietly. She couldn't deny being cross by how long the love session had been. Enjoying your last moments was one thing, but Ruby was already despondent, and the clock was ticking down to the moment she'd lose her own sister. Weiss could only imagine if Winter were in similar circumstances, and chose to devote her final hours to finances or something…

Yang sat down, arm wrapping around Ruby's shoulder. "So… that happened… You okay?"

Ruby shook her head.

"Yeah…" Yang admitted awkwardly, nodding.

_" 'Yeah…?' "_ Ruby parroted, finally meeting her eyes, glistening with tears. "Is that all you have to say?! You're going to _DIE!_ Weiss, Blake… but I'm… I'm about to lose my sister… I can't do it… I _WON'T _DO IT! _IT'S NOT FAIR…!"_

They were silent a minute. Finally Yang spoke up.

"Ruby… I'm _scared_…_"_ she admitted. "I've always been able to punch my way out of a problem, but… I don't know how to deal with… y'know… the whole _dying _thing. So… it's like I'm dealing with it by _not_ dealing with it…"

Ruby sat there, no idea how to respond. "I don't know either," she said, voice breaking as she threw her arms around Yang's chest. _"I love you, Yang…"_

"... I…"

But then there was a loud scraping, and everyone in the room jumped at the sound as the hunk of stone blocking the door shifted. It was the wrong direction, but had Salem finished already?

But on the other side, face no different from the stone he'd hefted, was Hazel. They stared at one another.

"Well?" his gravelly voice asked.

Yang stood up, fists raised. "Well _what?!"_

"Do you want out of this place or not?" Hazel asked, and the gravity of the world suddenly felt lighter. He turned his back, muttering, "Quietly."

Indeed, the team leapt to their feet, energized as they followed him beyond the room they feared they'd never leave. Back up the spiral stair, their footfalls light.

"S-sir, um…" Ruby dared, whispering. "Why are you helping us…?"

He didn't immediately answer. "I also had a sister… once. None should suffer that pain. Even _I_ couldn't block it out…"

_"Thank you…"_ Ruby told him, unable to hide the emotion in her voice.

They ultimately found their way outside, upon the castle battlements.

"Only one airship in or out of this place," Hazel explained. "You take it, you'll have a solid headstart."

"You're not coming?!" Weiss inferred.

"Salem can find the ones she's branded. There's no escape for me. I'd lead her Grimm straight to you."

"Sir, we… we can't accept—"

"I deserve what's coming."

Blake pondered as they rounded an outcrop leading towards the cruiser-sized vessel. "Does… anyone know how to fly an airship? Because _I _don't."

The lot of Team RWBY went slack. "Uhhh…" Ruby intoned.

"The good doctor fitted this one with an autopilot and guidance system. Anyone can use it."

"Though we insist you return it with a full tank of gas…" came a familiar voice, and they all froze. The distinctive clink audible, Cinder Fall rounded the corner.

Hazel frowned, and growled. "Stay out of this."

"You're not stupid enough to think you can intimidate me, Hazel, especially here. _I'm _the one with the power that still works… And I've always known at your core you were too soft to back it up anyway."

Cinder's black hand surged with dark as she snapped the crooked fingers. There was a sound behind them, like air being sucked, or torn in the most hollow, unearthly way.

"Cinder, this had better—" Salem's voice issued there, and all turned to see her. "What are you _doing, _Hazel…?"

Hazel stood remarkably still. All of them did. Ruby's mouth went dry.

Salem had appeared from nowhere, cradling her diminished but still sizable gut, which writhed every few moments. All the worse, a muffled but unmistakable, throat-tearing scream made itself heard through the prison of flesh.

_"AUUUUGHHH!__ PLEASE…! PLE-EASE MAKE IT STOP…! __MAKE IT STO-O-OP…!"_

"O-Oscar…?" Ruby asked, her eyes brimming.

The anguished mutterings were nearly indecipherable, but Ruby _thought _she could make out certain pleas and phrases as Oscar thrashed somewhere inside.

_"HELP ME-E-E…!"_ There was a gasp of air followed by violent, hacking coughs, followed by whimpering sobs. "Oh god, _JUST LET ME DIE!__PLEEEEEEASE!__AAAAAAAAAGHHHHHK…!"_

Even Cinder seemed transfixed by the hellish suffering.

"Nevermind _him,"_ Salem commanded, eyes glowing as she wrapped her cloak tight around her belly._ "Is this how it seems, Hazel?"_

"...Yes…"

"So once I'd destroyed Ozpin for you, I'm repaid with a knife to my back…? After all your failures, my leniency… my _warnings…_ You behave as a man whose life is of no value to himself…"

Hazel closed his eyes. "A life of no remaining purpose is a life nonetheless fulfilled."

Salem was a statue. "I wonder how long you'll believe that…"

Without warning, all of them leapt as black hands reached for every one of Hazel's limbs. He was pulled to his knees, arms spread, more than one clawed hand over his skull. A miasma of ink obscured everything as the limbs pulled at him. But in moments, it was clear they weren't pulling to rip him to pieces… he was being dragged down.

It was horrific, the floor itself seeming to consume him. Somehow they knew he wasn't simply being drawn to the lower floors. Perhaps the dregs of their Aura could sense his own, as he was pulled through the curtain into nonbeing. All they were certain of, was that once the blackness faded and the stone floor became solid and mundane once more, was that Hazel Reinhardt was at _minimum _dead.

There was silence. Running was pointless. It was their second escape attempt, and somehow they knew in their hearts it had to be their last. In particular, Yang and Ruby wore twin expressions of mortal dread.

Salem's eye found Yang. "I hope you'll refocus your energy into preparing for your fates. For you in particular, time is very nearly gone."

She firmly clutched her own stomach with one hand, and the voice within whimpered.

Each of them blinked… and once their eyes opened again, they found themselves back where they started. It was possible it hadn't happened at all.

Ruby immediately fell into Yang's arms, whining with miserable tears as both sank to the floor. Yang hadn't the heart to silence her as the front of her shirt grew wet. If anything, she pulled her sister all the closer.

"O-Oscar…! Yang, he… A-and I can't lose… _Ple-e-ease…!"_

On the other side of the room, Weiss was in the midst of her own concerns. "Oh my god… oh my _god,_ could you _hear_ him…?! He was _screaming, SCREAMING in pain…! I-I-I-I can't do this! _Not like _this,_ I can't be _EATEN…! I can't—"_

There was an echoing crack as Blake's palm smacked into Weiss' cheekbone, stunning her before Blake grabbed Weiss by both wrists. "You… are not… _helping…!_ What about _Oscar?!_ He's busy _living _that hell right now! Your friend Yang is _next!_ Ruby's about to lose her _sister,_ and you're afraid for when _you're _number comes up?"

Weiss held her cheek, speaking softly. "I can't _help _it…!"

Meanwhile Yang and Ruby held each other closer and closer, ignoring the hysterics, choosing simply to _be. _

There were almost no words left to be shared. Did they waste time on an impossible escape scheme? Waste words on what they already knew? No. Every squeeze and nuzzle was a conversation, an affirmation of love. Each stroke of Ruby's hair threading through Yang's fingers brought on fresh, hot tears.

But finally, the great door opened, and Ruby clutched her all the harder in fear. Salem stood on the other side, her belly flat again, and ready to claim its next victim. Oscar was gone.

"Come child…"

Yang stared at her over Ruby's shaking head, not immediately moving.

"My patience is at an end!" Salem told them. "If this is to be as pulling _teeth _every time I claim you, then I will forego the option of a dignified exit—"

"I'm coming," Yang said, loudly enough, working to stand.

But Ruby kept shaking her head, and she was a dead weight around Yang's shoulders, her grip vicelike even as she trembled.

"Ruby…"

"...No!"

"Please, let g—"

_"NO! You CAN'T have her! You CAN'T take her, I WON'T_ _LET YOU!"_

Salem's red eyes glowed dangerously as Ruby sobbed openly.

_"You can't take my sister! You CAN'T! Take ME!"_

Yang's face blanched with fear. "RUBY, _SHUT THE FUCK UP!"_

"I'll do _A-A-NY-THING…!"_

Finally, Yang gasped as she felt some force pulling them apart, and her own boots scraping the floor as she was dragged towards Salem on her feet.

"R-Ruby, it's going to be okay—"

Ruby couldn't take it.

_"NO! NO! NO! YOU CAN'T! YOU __**CAN'T!"**_

And there it was again. Ruby's Silver Eyes engulfed the room, feeling a hundredfold brighter and more powerful than before. Salem's pale form changed yet again, but the Witch felt no such difference under the surface.

Ruby continued to scream, pouring every ounce of power in her little body to save her sister, her family.

"RUBY!" Yang cried over it all. "I LOVE YOU!"

Salem prepared to do something unsavory to quell the nuisance, but some other noise joined the din with a heavy _'THWACK!'_

And like that, it was quiet. Ruby Rose fell flat on her back unconscious, and the golden prosthetic clattered across the floor, having used its rocket punch on her.

Salem stared at Yang. "An acceptable solution…"

"It was either I did it or _you _did it, right?" Yang suggested.

Salem gave a slow blink, looking as though she might still break something… or someone. "Leave the arm behind… A last gift from you. You'll have no more need of it. Now _come…"_

Salem gripped her wrist, and pulled her along. She followed, reluctantly.

Weiss whimpered, seemingly trying to say something, but not finding the words.

Blake had no such problems. _"YANG…! _I… _we_ love you…"

Yang stared back as the doors closed behind them. "I love you too…"

Yang did everything she could to glimpse Ruby's face, still flat on the floor, but couldn't quite do it…

* * *

Salem's nails dug into Yang's wrist as they continued into the greater room.

"So… how would you prefer it?"

Yang balked at the question. "Prefer _what?"_

Salem frowned. "Have you a last request pertaining to _how_ I take you? Don't be stupid, girl."

"I'd rather you _didn't,_ how's that?" Yang snapped.

The nails dug hard enough to draw blood, and she raised her hand to face level as Yang groaned. "Your defiance is not something I would advise in your position…"

"I-if you're going to _kill_ me, then DO it! Quick and clean, none of this creepy _EATING _bullshit! We heard what happened to Oscar!"

Salem sighed. "I seldom indulge my Grimm hunger, but I cannot afford to pass on sating it when four young miscreants are brought before me. I warned you all that the process was painful… and it _must_ be. Grimm can satisfy their hunger with human flesh, but most desired is to consume a living man… or woman. The pain and fear of their last moments is half the banquet."

Yang grit her teeth. "You're _sick…_ and you _know_ it…"

The Witch didn't change expression. "I know you're not leaving this room unsavored… So I ask again… how will it happen?"

Yang didn't answer, so Salem continued.

"I could take you head-first," she suggested, "facing your fate without mystery."

"How about _ass_-first, 'd be entertaining…" Yang dare bitterly.

Salem smirked. "Careful now… think before you speak. For all _you_ know I've done that very thing, the poor girl folded in half in crushing claustrophobia. _Still_ entertained?"

Yang didn't answer, inwardly admitting, Salem might just turn a witticism into her fate.

Salem took the silence for answer. "Or… from the feet, if you'd like the longest glimpse of the world you leave behind… Though in such case, I will dispose of your overlong tresses," she elaborated, a hand brushing Yang's golden hair. "I'll not swallow numerous feet of hair dangling once my throat has you."

Yang's breathing was sharp and offended at the idea of losing her hair. Salem noticed.

"Ah, so you _do_ have a preference. Was that so very hard? Come then…"

Yang gasped as her clothes, even her _boots _shredded around her like ashes, and in a flash she was nude. With only her stump free and her left hand still in Salem's grasp, she could only twist her legs feebly in a worthless instinct to cover herself. All the worse, the hand gripping her swole as Salem began to tower over her again. This time, it was with the intent to swallow _her_ whole.

She fought, and pulled, and kicked, but it was useless. She was back to being the powerless amputee, her right stub wobbling pointlessly as her one free hand was held with terrible strength. Her kicking feet found something firm to strike behind before they were bound by something equally strong, and glancing back she saw Salem's other hand had seized them.

She was raised high, dangling if not for her arm being held. Yang took a single look down and squeezed her eyes shut. Not to hide, but to fight the urge to tear-up. Even without her arm being held fast Salem could probably drop her headfirst, and Yang would only be able to flop around like a fish as gravity slid her down the slimy gullet. Two arms could arrest her movement, get a grip and resist for what it was worth; one was nearly as good as none here. She'd just slip and sink.

_She was helpless._ Fighting back was pointless and she knew it, but at least she could achieve a moral victory or make it difficult. Instead, Yang Xiao Long was going to die at her killer's— no, her _predator's_ leisure, like some child or bystander.

And when she opened her eyes, the nightmare was starting. The hot, dank breath rose up to meet her as she was lowered.

"NO, fight me! _Fight me, god damn it!"_

Salem paused at that, her hugeness only making her eyes spookier. "You had every opportunity to try. Do so _now_ if you like, I'll bring you down regardless.

"I-I _can't…! _You've—"

"Entirely overpowered you? Your _instinctive _need to be evasive and difficult would _impress _me were it not so abrasive."

_"FUCK YOU!"_

"I agree though, it's almost sad… Deprived of other weapons, your last resort is harsh language? I'm afraid I've lost interest in this conversation."

_"LET ME GO, YOU EVIL CUN—"_

She was all but silenced as her head popped between Salem's lips, the massive tongue meeting her face as it was slathered with saliva. She spat and snorted. It had even gone up her nose. In moments, she recognized she was being used like a sucker, and in a chilling realization she felt Salem's —very human— teeth on both sides of her neck. It was as numbing as sticking her head through a guillotine.

But the moment was fleeting. In seconds her head scraped over the pallet as she was guided towards the dark chasm of the throat. Lips stretched over her shoulders. She groaned, powerless to slow it, wriggling. The uvula dragged over her forehead. Her hair was sodden and losing volume as it clung together. Her breasts were soon to be imbibed.

"D-_damn it…! Rggghh!"_

She couldn't stop it. She crested the back of the great tongue and could finally see down the fleshy tube. All the worse was the odd, bony protrusion in her path. She didn't want to find out how she passed it. She didn't _want _to pass it. This _fucking SUCKED, _she didn't want to be SWALLOWED! What stupid way to die was THAT?!

She gave a cry more girlish than she expected as Salem suddenly released her arm and shoved her by her butt, the mouth opening the instant her entire chest was popped inside, her stub included. The tongue heaved underneath her as her breasts were fondled and… _tasted._

Yang lost it, her head and vision surrounded by the start of the throat. _"DO I FUCKING TASTE GOOD?! ARE MY TITS TASTY?! YOU GONNA FUCK ME WITH THAT TONGUE, YOU FUCKI— EEEEEK—!"_

Salem's whole jaw clamped down over her as she was forced down into the bony protrusion, which gave way and folded down as muscle and gravity dragged her an entire foot into the slim, slimy esophagus. There was a clear, unmistakable gulping sound.

Yang tried to gasp as she was constricted and dragged in to her navel between Salem's lips, but instead she coughed and choked as she inhaled a mouthful of saliva.

Panic wasn't something she was supposed to fall to as a Huntress. Panicking let instinct take the wheel, and instinct often made stupid decisions. But halfway down the throat of an immortal being wasn't a bad time for it.

So she thrashed, and tried to kick, pinned as she was. _She couldn't BREATHE, it was TERRIFYING. She couldn't do this, it was too much, she couldn't die like—"_

Salem seemed to understand Yang wouldn't last long, and another swallow surged over her like a crashing wave as heat and moisture crawled over her hips and rear. Yang growled and groaned as Salem's mouth worked over her pelvic region. The tongue cradled her by the crotch and rear before lips sealed over her thighs as she was drawn yet further.

_Oh GOD, this was IT… _Yang struggled and murmured as her hips writhed against it all. It didn't matter, it was too late to fight. The last of her body that mattered was already being embarrassingly coated, and then her legs would be along for the ride. And then…

Yang shuddered in the darkness. No one could see her, and for her soaked face and upper body they couldn't tell if they did, but Yang knew she was crying. She was afraid to die, ashamed to be made so powerless. The only fight she might give Salem was _indigestion…_

She whimpered and squirmed as her backside was dragged over the waiting pit, and felt the ring of flesh pinning her lower legs angle high as Salem pitched her head back.

_'Gulp…'_

Yang winced as she bobbed forward, slithering down as the throat engulfed her hips and worked to grip them.

_'Gulp…'_

The swallow pinned her thighs together as her motion arrested. The way ahead of her seemed to soften as she oozed down slightly. She knew what was coming.

_'GLUCK…'_

This last swallow had her _literally _by the ass as her forward motion was now a runaway train. Spit and mucus —at this point she wasn't sure of the difference— glopped over her face as she finally broke into a humid cavity and hit the soft, wrinkled floor. She coughed as her shoulders and chest followed, and as much as she tried to stay still, Yang's body was being squeezed through like the contents of a tube of toothpaste.

It was pitch dark as her hips finally plopped down, and she had to do a hard sit-up to keep her head from being submerged in the pooled saliva at the bottom. She wiped the slime off her face, and then with revulsion tried to wring it out of her river of hair. She hadn't given up on her legs, still thigh-deep in the esophagus.

Yang tried to lean forward to find the throat sphincter with her hand, but it was too high. This combined with Salem continually swallowing her down ultimately lost her the fight, and her feet soon joined the cavity she sat in.

She shook again. No point denying it: she was in Salem's stomach… _eaten._

It wasn't a very large space. J-shaped with the far end curving up with her legs, her body sagged in the bottom like some kind of 'meat-hammock.' She wasn't claustrophobic, but she could barely move either. Her attempts to get to her feet or knees were foiled constantly by the floor's total lack of traction, so she simply slipped back into lying ensconced in the muck. She pressed up, to the side. She kicked. But Salem's guts merely pressed back in like a living waterbed.

_She wasn't getting out,_ she realized, the tears stinging again. She was slimy and naked in the darkness, which she knew would be her tomb. She couldn't even _see,_ everything was just feelings and noises. It was comfortably warm, which surprised her given Salem's almost corpse-like appearance.

Yang felt a swoop in her _own_ stomach, but couldn't be sure why. She was so afraid, it could have been anything or nothing. So what now? Was she just going to wait for—?

_"AHHH!" _She jumped out of her skin —again, more girlishly than she wanted— as something impacted and pressed into the stomach wall.

_"Ah…" _the walls groaned around her, booming, yet muffled. _"Finally, one of you with enough heft to satisfy… The other two barely filled me."_

"D-Did you just call me _fat?!"_

Yang could _hear_ the eyeroll from Salem. _"Only in the sense of what you'll soon BE, child… upon my temple. But really, does vanity avail you where you can't even see YOURSELF? All things are equal in my gullet."_

Yang tried to shove the weight away, the belly only jiggling around her. _"Vanity?!_ T-that's RICH coming from the one who _SCREWED_ humanity, and then blames everyone who came after for _getting _screwed!"

_"I'm not sure I know what you're referring to…"_

"You think you're better than everyone! You think we're all inferior because we're not freaking _magic,_ but YOU'RE the one who took that away by bitching at the gods over and over again!"

_"I think you're inferior because between the two of us, one is merely the other's MEAL. And it's equally droll that an irritant like yourself fails to find the virtue of defiance…"_

"I'm NOT a meal! I'm a HUMAN FUCKING BEING, and you're a _MURDERER!"_

The stomach pressed in as Salem's lungs sighed. "I _was_ going to give you a last goodbye to your sister, against my better judgment given she's certain to need restraining… But an attitude adjustment might be in order. If you're going to scream at me, you might as well do it for a reason…"

Yang could barely see even as her eyes adjusted to the dark, but the little slimy glint she could make out rippled before—

_"Aack! AGH..!"_ she shrieked as something dripped onto her shoulder, fizzing as it burned. Then a droplet hit her forearm, knee, her left breast… and then the puddle she sat in began to bite at her flesh as the oozing acids from the walls began to pool there. She kept yelping, wincing in pain, wiping it off by hand even as _that_ seared as well.

Finally she felt stinging in her nethers, and leapt up to her knees as she clutched her tender sex. _"Arghhh…! AGHHH…!_ _F-fuck you…! Hnnnngh!"_

She'd hoped it would take longer to get to this point. She shivered as she realized this burning, not so terrible, yet, but so persistent… It wasn't going to stop until it had worn her through, reduced her to mush. She remembered Weiss' paralyzing fear, and knew she wasn't wrong. This was going to be _horrible…_ She'd considered how she might die as a Huntress many times, but _slowly melted?_

Her will to live peaked, and in the dark, there was a golden flare around her.

_What?_

It was reacting to the burn. Her _Aura!_ She had some _Aura!_

She cocked a fist back…

Salem was like the victim of a science fiction monster as her front blasted open in black viscera, surprised as Yang burst out, skidding against the stone floor, still slick with slime as she stood up. She rounded to face the giant, and—

"What the _hell?!"_

No, Salem wasn't a giant anymore, she'd shrunk down. And given her colossal surroundings, so had _she._ Yang was _tiny,_ barely the size of a toddler, but with her busty adult proportions.

Salem looked down at herself, sighing (her lungs distractingly visible as they contracted to achieve this) before her gaping wound glowed golden, and the damage melted away. "I see I'll need those crystals placed at more frequent intervals. That's the second blindspot you've used. "Come child… back to your room."

Yang dashed as she sought the fight she so desperately wanted, weaving left and leaping for a solid shot to Salem's kidney. The pale hand halfheartedly tried to grab her, but the tiny fist struck her spine.

Finally though, Yang felt herself float off the ground, spinning from her last step as she appeared before Salem's blank face.

"You know I'm immortal… you know _whatever _you attempt, I _will_ consume you in the end. Is this bitter resolve an attempt to save face? Are you dissatisfied for being so easily beaten?"

Yang wriggled pointlessly, swinging ludicrously.

"Fine then… Let's continue…"

Salem held Yang's legs straight guiding them into her throat, and she struggled. _No…! She'd gotten out! It couldn't be for nothing! _

Her knees were swiftly gulped down. Her rear was passing the teeth, seated on the tongue.

_Fine… if she really WAS doomed to die… she'd be sure Salem remembered her…_

Yang flexed an… altogether different set of muscles as she winced, grunting, "H-here's _mud in your mouth…!"_

Salem froze as there was a curious noise, and something landed on her tongue. Yang's fleshy flavor was tinged with bile from her previous consumption, but now she also tasted something… _earthy,_ familiar, but distant in her memory after eons. It was unpleasant…

And then Salem's eyes widened, her blood boiling. She disgorged the girl into the nearby wall as she let the soft brown lump slip off her tongue and onto the ground with a splat.

_The little harlot DEFECATED in her mouth!_

First Salem's eyes burned as Yang Xiao Long laughed, a brown smear still on her backside from the effort.

...And then the _room_ burned.

_**"ARGHHHH! AIIIIIIIIIYYYYYY! AGGHHHHHHHHHH!"**_

Yang's laughter turned to screams as the chamber was set ablaze, and so was she. She writhed in agony as she felt her hair burning off, looked to see her hands shriveling. Her skin was melting.

And then it stopped. All at once, Yang looked up as the pain of before vanished, its echo still coursing through her. She ran her hands over her unburned skin. _Was it in her mind?_

But then she found her scalp, cold and bare. Even her eyebrows were gone. She burst into tears, shaking with fearful sobs.

"What _are_ women of this day?!" Salem demanded, still furious. "A beautiful thing like yourself, so full of spite you'll wallow in your own _shit_ just to spite me?! Stupid sow, _do you think I can do nothing WORSE to you?!"_

_**"ARGGGGGHHHGGKKKKKKSHHR…!"**_ With a gesture, Yang felt a searing pain in her collar, and then beheld in horror and agony as her left and right halves were being _pulled apart, _skin splitting and veins bursting into the open air as she was slowly torn in half like a sheet of paper. Bone popped, snapped and organs spilled out. She should have gone into shock, but she wasn't… She felt _all_ of it, blinding and horrid.

And once again, in an instant it knit back together, and she was whole. She sobbed harder.

_"I'M SO-O-O-RRY…! PLEEEASE…!"_

Salem stood over her. "Finally, your tone is appropriate. Ozpin _really _never told you what you were facing, did he? Do you know what hell is, girl? Because I can bring you whatever fate you fear…"

"Nooo…! No, please, I'll stop!"

"Really? Are we _sure_ that rebellious streak is finished? Perhaps I'll obliterate your very _soul! _Your dear sister, forced to wander eternity without you… forever empty…"

Yang cried somehow harder, eyes upturned and huge at the suggestion. "No…! No, _please!"_

"Though making _her_ suffer isn't appropriate now, is it? If I destroy _her_ soul, her pain will be over, while _yours_ is infinite… with only yourself to blame."

Yang crawled forward, gripped Salem's robes, a hand wrapped around her feet. She _groveled._ "Please… p-please, I'll do anything you want!" Eat me, kill me, just d-don't hurt her…! _Please…"_

Salem watched the broken girl. Made her _squirm_ just a bit longer.

"Very well, you seem contrite. Let it be finished then. _Feed_ yourself to me."

Yang dared to look up… She didn't hesitate.

A chair manifested beneath Salem, who took it, granting Yang an easier climb. To her lap, and helpfully the witch offered an open palm as a step.

Yang was still crying as she was lifted higher, trying her best to place her hands at inoffensive spots as finally she lifted her feet into Salem's waiting mouth.

She didn't want to die… But Ruby was everything. So she'd _give_ everything.

Her feet slipped over the waiting tongue, and Salem's head craned back to give her a straight shot. She tried to gently lower herself, but slipped, and her knees were soon locked together by the throat.

Fear returned as she remembered where she was sending herself back to… back to the cramped, sightless acid pit to die slow, dissolving in pain for _hours…_

Two hands seized Salem's top and bottom teeth, bobbing Yang's body up and down for a moment before fully committing as she shoved herself down. She let go, stuffing her hands by her crotch before she was elbow-deep. No point tempting herself to resist.

She was but a bust sticking out of Salem's mouth, helpless. At least it was her own choice this time. She waited, but Salem merely wet Yang with her tongue.

"I-I… this is all I can do myself… I need you to… I need you to _take me…_ please…"

There was a sigh of air through Salem's nostrils, and Yang gasped at the sudden tug of her groaning swallow.

Already having a grip on most of her body, Yang felt herself sink deeper. Flesh held up her breasts until her shoulders were nearly drawn in. Like that, she was eye-level with the teeth, the cavernous sounds inside the mouth dominating her ears. The tongue's bulk reared up against Yang's chin, and another wet gulp surged her down to her neck.

It was terrifying… her whole head sat neatly in Salem's mouth, in the pit of the throat. The light dimmed as she could finally close her mouth.

Yang fought back a sob. Knowing she couldn't fight back, this _was_ the last light she'd ever see. She had to die… in agony, alone, and _hope _she was good enough to go where Ruby was headed. That was the only hope left.

The moist air grew hot as Salem's lips sealed, submerging her in darkness. Yang knew it was coming as the tongue reared back.

_'GLUCK'_

For the second time, Yang was forced down the tube, but in the reverse. Her feet were freed and touched the floor, and the rest of her was shoved out into the stomach… _to stay._

The reality of it, sitting hot and soaked against the rippling flesh, was unbearable. She wasn't getting out. This was her tomb… and it wouldn't be long before her own personal hell began again. The things Salem did to her not minutes ago, the torture of burning alive, being torn apart had contextualized what _real_ suffering and _real_ pain felt like. Just that taste, knowing she'd experience what it felt to _melt_, eaten away until her body could no longer keep her alive… She knew now why Weiss was so petrified. Weiss was always the thoughtful one… she'd thought it through.

She choked back a sob of fear and despair. How awful was it, that her best plan now was to surrender, subject herself and her own sister to dying horribly… the only hope coming after their lives were already over?

"I almost fear to ask," Salem sighed, "but have you anything to say, or request?"

Yang nodded, and then mentally smacked herself for the pointlessness of it. "Y-yes… Can… Can I say goodbye?"

"You already _did,"_ Salem bristled. "Give me one good reason to invite your sister to scream and sob and thrash at me for your life. The girl has a pattern, I'm sure you've noticed."

Yang surprised herself at _immediately _holding the answer. "I'll tell them! I'll tell them to…"

"...Yes?"

* * *

The doors opened. Ruby was awake again, nursing an awful headache to go with the swollen lump on her forehead. Every bit of her clutched the yellow prosthetic, and her eyes were half as red as her hood.

She began to stand up, but the other two girls shrieked as a grey beam swept out from the Witch's hand, enveloping her head and forming an almost fluid bubble around it.

Ruby's eyes lit up in dull surprise, her movements slow and drunk. The beam maintained, silent as Salem approached, her middle swollen with its human meal.

"Oh...oh no… Yang…" Ruby droned slowly, like she were speaking in her sleep. She shuffled forward on her knees as Salem strode up to her.

"W-what did you _do…?"_ Weiss asked fearfully, her eyes like Blake still glued to the sedate mass that was their teammate.

Salem deigned to answer as her fingers swept through Ruby's hair. "Addled her. I'm in no mood to tolerate her tantrums, so this is our compromise." She held Ruby's head against her belly, addressing its occupant. "Here she is, girl. Speak."

"Y-Yang…? Are you… in there…?"

_"R-Ruby…! Ruby it's… it's me. I have to tell you something important."_

"W-what?" Ruby asked, shaking, eyes watering despite Salem's efforts.

_"Ruby, I know you… I know you'll never give up hope… I know you'll keep trying, resisting… but you and the girls need to stop…!"_

"S… stop…?"

_"Stop fighting… I know it's awful, Ruby… and I know it's REALLY going to hurt… it's going to be terrifying… Being eaten alive is TERRIFYING… but she can do SO so much worse than that…!"_

"B-but… Yang…"

The talking lump shifted. _"Ruby, it's OVER…! We tried, and we lost… I don't regret trying… but this is the end… we have to accept it if we want to be together in… the next place…"_

Ruby shivered. "I… I…"

_"Swear it!" _Yang demanded. _"Damn it, Ruby, you swear to m— No… no, Ruby… Swear on your mother…"_

Despite the dulled response, Ruby's eyes finally poured out. "M-my…?"

_"SWEAR on Summer that you won't fight back! God DAMN IT, Ruby, SAY IT!"_

Ruby sniffed, her lip wobbling as her eyes slammed shut.

_"SWEAR IT!"_

"N-_NO…!"_

Yang sat still a moment, thunderstruck. There was an anger to the denial. Not that she blamed her, but even Yang was surprised that Ruby's feelings on this matter were strong enough to breach Salem's spell.

"I can't… do that… I can't give in…"

_"Ruby—!"_

"That's enough," Salem commanded. "Give her your last goodbye."

Yang wheezed in panic, but pressed hard against the fleshy wall. _"Please, Ruby…! I-I love you… More than anything, I love you…"_

Salem made a flick of her wrist, and Ruby was out like a light. Weiss raced in to catch her before she struck the stone, still staring at the quivering belly.

* * *

There was nothing left. Salem strode from the room before the others could add any more finality to it. The doors sealed behind her, and suddenly it was just the blonde brawler in Salem's stomach, simpering.

_"Wait! Wait wait, PLEASE, I can still get through to her! I'm BEGGING you, don't punish her, punish ME!"_

"Relax, dear girl," Salem said, calming as she carried on about her business. "The young Rose has an iron will. I knew this. I do not hold it against her, as irritating as it is. _You_ were willfully abrasive. That I _cannot _abide… but I know that in the throes of agony, there is nothing one will not say or promise to escape it. As such, I won't hold anything you say from here on against _you…_ but nor should you expect _any_ reply."

Yang whimpered as she felt acid singe her fingers and knees. It wasn't so bad yet, more surprising as it gnawed at her skin.

"But if you seek comfort… know you will suffer more the longer you deny pain. The only comfort you will find here, is in the embrace of death. I advise that you fall into its arms. Farewell…"

With that, even the sounds outside of Salem muffled, and Yang felt utterly alone despite being literally _inside_ another person. The stomach wobbled with every step, and she sat up a moment, scalp against the ceiling in the dark.

"Nggg! Aughhh!" She cried, as suddenly a vague sting in her nethers amplified and she stood up on her knees. _Damn it, that stuff SUCKED on her pussy…! That sensitive skin…_

She brushed the painful fluid off her bottom, but then a burn on her head grew more pronounced, and she felt a trickle running down her back to sizzle. _"Mnnnnnrrrr, fuck…!"_ she groaned, transitioning to sit on her thigh and avoid the pain… but she only began to dance like the floor of the stomach were cooking her.

Slowly she recognized the flaw in all of this… What Salem had warned her of to begin with: _There was no avoiding the pain._ She couldn't escape. She _was_ going to die here. And the longer she avoided it, what would happen?

Would she sit on her hand and knees until they literally burned away? Would she keep rolling around like a bird on a spit, exposing her least pained parts to a long, drawn out cycle of agony and relief?

Going along like this, she was suffering without truly dying… She wouldn't _die_ until the acid did something _fatal._

She could shove her face into the rising puddle of pain and do her best to drown herself until her lungs stopped working… But her own survival instincts might ruin that, and she'd be in even more pain.

She could only fathom doing one thing to keep herself from resisting the pain, to hold herself in the fastest position to expire. Fate already granted her half of what she needed…

Yang held her arm out, wincing as she sat on her tailbone and felt the acids licking her anus. She extended her feet so her soles clasped together around her wrist, and then extended them further. Her arm was pulled taut…

_"Rrrrghhh…!" _she groaned, teeth bared as she kicked out slightly. She took several breaths… hesitated… and then pulled her wrist with the hardest double-kick she could manage.

_**"AAAAAARGHHHHHH!"**_ Yang screamed, moaning as she let her arm fall limp with a splash, her stump reaching as she bit into it to dull the feeling. She screeched as she drew blood from the vestige of her right arm. She'd never dislocated a shoulder before, and her hanging, useless left arm was _shockingly _painful. She was instantly in tears, gasping breaths, the acid momentarily forgotten.

_That was it,_ she thought. She couldn't fix her arm if she _wanted_ to. Both arms were equally dead to her as a means of keeping herself clear of the acid. She sat back up, hissing through her teeth as the sting returned to her privates and her shoulder _killed_ with every idle motion.

There would be no going back after this next part. All she had to do was fall back. Without her arms she couldn't get a good enough grip on the slippery surfaces to lift herself back up. She'd be stuck, lying there on her back as the stomach juices ate at her. It would be quicker, better in the long run.

Yet even as her ass burned, she was having trouble committing to the last act. She knew she was doomed a long time ago… but this was her _choosing _to let go… to pull the trigger… Yang was still only eighteen years old, _and she was going to die…_

Yang didn't _want_ to die… She was so _afraid…_ But this was the only path left to her.

She sucked breath, puffing as she gnashed her teeth. One of her molars cracked from the strain. And then she froze… She tried not to think about it. She couldn't stop thinking about it. She _wanted_ to do it… She was too scared to—

Then, with a final burst of nervous energy, she threw herself flat on her back… far harder than expected.

The acids had begun to pool deeper, and the resulting splash ran up the walls of the stomach and doused her front… her breasts… her face, assaulting her eyes as her whole backside lit on fire.

_**"AAAAAHH! AAAAAAAAGH! AAAAAUUUURGHHH!"**_ she shrieked girlishly, uncontrollably. She thrashed left and right as her arm throbbed, trying to shake the burning contents from her eyes. Her legs kicked the stomach wall uselessly. She managed to roll into her front, only making herself writhe as she tried to keep the juices and their fumes out of her face. _**"NNNNARRGGHHH! I CAN'T… NNNNN-I-CA-AN'T! LET ME OU-UT! PLEEEEEEASE!"**_

She forced herself onto her back again, wriggling and sobbing pathetically. She couldn't see anything but spots. Her senses were largely obliterated, aside from the pain. _It was taking so long,_ and she knew this was only her _skin_… with all her muscle and a vital organ to go. _"I want to g-g-go home…!" _she whispered, eyes squeezed shut against the pain. She gasped. _**"DA-A-ADDY…!"**_

* * *

Salem rubbed her burgeoning belly. The _true_ feast had begun. She listened for hours to the awful screams. Her human heart was almost saddened. The girl energized her as the Queen was sated by her pain and fear. The combination of her total surrender, coupled with her _ferocious_ will to live. She admitted a pang in her, as this doused firebrand's last minutes were spent feebly chanting that she was enduring this for her sister.

Salem didn't truly believe in love anymore… but she had to admit, as the girl's perforated lungs finally started to drown her in acid… this gave her pause.


	4. Stygian

There was a crushing silence after Salem left. As was becoming cruelly usual, she did it with a stomach full of a living human being.

But this time was more real than before. Neo was an old foe, and for as much as they loved Oscar and knew Ozpin, it was something altogether different for one of their cherished sisterhood to be fractured.

Ruby was still mercifully unconscious, but already Weiss and Blake could hear her stirring, and neither could bear to let her wake alone.

Blake turned to meet Weiss' sparkling blue eyes, to find tear-streaks running down her face, and that was all it took for RWBY's resident faunus to give a pained snort before shuddering into sobs. Black and White reached for each other, and in moments each were pouring their grief and love into the other's shoulder. That Blake was still functionally nude was forgotten.

Blake wasn't sure why seeing Weiss tearful had caused her to break. She knew Weiss was nowhere near as cold as she seemed. She knew that of all of them, Team RWBY might have meant the most to her, as the family she always wanted but never found at home. Their time in Atlas had solidified that fact. Of _course _Weiss would mourn for Yang… Both of them knew it. Whether the fatal blow had struck or not by that moment, the next time they saw Salem, her belly would be flat… and Yang would be gone forever.

Ruby Rose awoke to the instant warmth of her friends as they clung to her. For a minute or so, she almost seemed confused, if welcoming. But as the seconds wore on, the Checkmate Two felt true heartbreak in real time as her memory caught up to her, and she slouched deeper and deeper. Old tear stains still on her cheeks ran fresh, and Ruby was uncomfortably silent for ages.

But then her head tilted slightly, and she started moving to crawl towards the yellow arm a few feet away. Neither of them stopped her as she scooped it up, and then clutched it against her heart with both hands as she leaned so far her forehead was touching the ground.

Both went numb with shock as for a split second it looked like the crimsonette was having a heart attack before she let out the most anguished scream either of them had ever heard, and listened to it devolve into loud sobs. It looked like she'd just been run-through with a flaming sword.

Ruby was instantly ensconced by both of her surviving teammates. It took forever to ride out the girl's pain to the extent that anything worthwhile could be said. But even then, she did something between her sniffs that stunned them both into silence. She slung Yang's arm around her neck to clap over her back… and held it there, her other arm clutching something to her chest that wasn't there.

Weiss gasped as fresh tears filled her eyes. "Oh my god, _Ruby…!"_

She spun to face Ruby, who barely looked to acknowledge her, and set her chin on the younger girl's bowed head as she hugged her. "Ruby, I'm so sorry…! I'm _not _going to leave you…! I'm going to stay with you until the end, okay…?! I _promise…!"_

"You can't… p-p-promise that," Ruby croaked at last. "We don't even know who's going next…"

_"I'll _go next," Blake told her, gulping as both turned to see her, eyes glistening. "I'm ready… I belong with _my_ partner the same as you belong with yours…"

"But… Blake, that's not—" Weiss began.

"Please… let me protect my family, just a little longer."

Ruby shook her head. "That's not fair, Blake… Let me—"

Blake shook her head. "Ruby, _you KNOW_ she's saving you for _last…_ It was never going to happen like that. I don't know _why,_ but we all know it's true."

Weiss' face screwed up. "Y-you're all _my_ family too! Why do _you—?!"_

"Because _you're _the most scared of dying, Weiss!" Blake snapped. "You've shown the most fear and understanding of what's waiting for u—"

_"I'm claustrophobic!"_ Weiss admitted suddenly, huddling into a ball. "I'm _so fucking SCARED, _Blake!" she swore, shaking, tears so heavy they were running down her jaw. "I can't do it! Every time I imagine getting s-stuffed in her stomach, I can't even _breathe! _I'd rather be _burned_ _alive!"_

Blake's eyes widened. "Oh _god, _Weiss… I-I'm sorry… I _struck_ you… I-I didn't kno—"

"I-It's fine… B-but I don't want to die a _coward…!_ I don't want to edge to the back of the line while everyone I love jumps in front of me! I-I _refuse_ to let that be the last word on me!"

Blake's ears fell. "Weiss, _please…_ I want to do it… Not just for _you…_ I… Ruby…?"

The silent reaper looked up.

"Ruby… I want to be your sister," Blake said, shaking. _"Really_ your sister… I… I think I love Yang… It's too late, but I can't get it out of my head, and I… all I want is to follow her to the other side… I want to be hers..."

Ruby's glassy eyes stared. There was silence, before she finally shifted. "I give up…"

Weiss and Blake shared a look.

"Ruby…?" Weiss broached.

"I know what I said before… That I couldn't… That I wouldn't stop fighting," Ruby said, sniffing. "And I still want to stop Salem… but if it comes to that, this won't be my world anymore. I keep seeing it… if _we_ survived… If just me and Weiss survived… If _I _alone survived…"

Her eyes squeezed shut as heavy tears rolled. "I can't see a life without Team RWBY… and the more I think it, the more I feel like we don't belong in this world anymore. Most of the people we love are _gone…_ We can save this world… but there's nothing left for us here…"

The other two stared at her. Weiss covered her mouth with her shaking hand. There was nothing to say. Either of them were lost in thought.

The silence continued for minutes. Ruby's words were haunting. The notion that she, even _she_ had lost the will to live. To hear that voice which had inspired them to action so many times was telling them it was best to lie down and die… that the journey was over. It was hard to disagree with her. JNPR had carried on after Pyrrha, but now they too were gone. All of them. The world left to them was a very bare existence, while the world beyond felt to be calling them home.

"Okay Ruby," Weiss relented, swallowing. "We'll go together. I'm _scared, _but—"

The door shocked them all as it opened with a heavy creak.

_"No…! _Already?!" Blake muttered.

Ruby watched, frozen to the spot. She thought she'd made peace with it, but she glimpsed Salem's smooth front and felt her knees give out as she erupted into loud sobs. The thought was bad enough, but the reality stood before her. Yang was _dead…_

Weiss embraced her immediately, holding her as she quaked with grief. Blake's eyes slammed shut as she fought the coming tears.

"I realize this is sooner than expected, but your sister made things easier on herself," Salem told them dispassionately. "I'm not certain _what_ she did exactly, but she ensured she couldn't avoid vital injury. She saved herself a great deal of suffering by accepting her fate, her pain. I hope you'll look to her for this wisdom."

Blake took a shaking step. "I v-volunteer… Take me… I'm ready."

"N-no!" Weiss cried, her teeth gritting as she braced against her own words. _"I'll do it…!"_

"We'll all go! T-together…" Ruby managed, squeezing Weiss' hand.

Salem's head tilted. "Well _this_ is an altogether change of tone. But _no._ I'm afraid it defeats the purpose to take you together. Together you're unafraid… comforted. You suffer together and ease your fears."

Their hearts collectively sank, though none more than Weiss… envisioning herself compacted and alone.

"Alone, humans succumb to fear. Despair. Their bonds are their bulwark. Naturally I must deny them."

There was only silence. _Of course_ it couldn't be that simple.

Finally, Salem turned to Blake. "Very well. You, faunus girl…"

"My name is _Blake…"_

"I don't care," Salem told her. "You didn't _sound_ like you were going to make this difficult…"

"I'm not," Blake denied. "I won't fight you… Ruby? Weiss? I love you all… Knowing you was the greatest privilege… I-I'll see you later… okay…?"

Red and white watched after her, her eyes sparkling as she put on a tearful smile.

There was no violent struggle this time, no shouting, no anger.

"Weiss…? Be strong… you're braver than you know."

And then Blake Belladonna walked out of their lives forever.

* * *

Blake followed Salem in silence.

"I see there was a change of heart following her passing," Salem said at last as they approached the larger chamber. "I think she'd be happy to know you ultimately listened to her."

Blake didn't immediately respond. "Are _you_ happy? Doing all you do?"

"I'm not sure I truly _feel_ 'happiness' anymore," Salem admitted. "The nearest I feel are vices like this. I hope you're not getting at something more meaningful, dear… Your teammate was a trial for me, I'm sure she'd be thrilled to know. I'd rather we kept this strictly to business."

Blake nodded as they stepped to the center of the chamber. "I'll go heel-first, if that's okay…"

"You truly _are_ a refreshing change," Salem noted as she flicked her wrist, and the remains of Blake's clothes shredded away as she winced with a groan. She had already been largely naked. "But I'm afraid this will be slightly more involved in your case."

Blake shivered as she tried to stay upright, Salem circling her and inspecting her body. "H-how?"

"Faunus were once feared as having a connection to the Creatures of Grimm. Lately that notion has been quashed in the name of equating them with humans… but I've found it nonetheless true."

"What…?"

"Yes… The faunus did not _exist_ before the fall of man. Men themselves returned from a few avenues… those from the dust, and those from the _beasts,_ including the Grimm. You are humanity's dark half."

Blake had nothing to say at this revelation. Her ears merely twitched.

"As such, your kind are more alike to myself than others. Man and Grimm, together. In moments like these, I prefer to retain the essence of your being in a manner that is _more_ than the simple digestion visited upon human prey."

"H-how do we do that…? _Mmn…!"_

Blake winced. Suddenly, Salem's fingers were under the cleft of her buttocks, tugging on the wax seal plugging her anus. "What is this? Is blocking your alimentary tract some new manner of therapy? Or perhaps you've hidden something? Such a dirty thing…"

"I-It's… _augh…!"_ She blushed and groaned as she felt her sensitive skin prying away from the solid wax. "I-I was intimate with someone! It's just leftover from that, please…!"

"Regardless, this must be removed," Salem told her, before her fingers slipped between the wax and flesh to reach inside and pull.

_"Aghhh! Unghhhh…! O-Owww…! _I'll take it out m-myself…!"

Salem ignored her, pulling until her shiny flesh unglued, and the bulb-shaped white mass was extracted and inspected.

"Just wax," Salem noted, the seal having taken the shape of her rectum. "But there is more still inside…"

"W-wait, _please!"_ Blake begged, as Salem's long fingers slipped into her. "Urghh…! Th-this is _humiliating!"_

Salem's dug around and removed another mound of white wax, and then closed in on her neck, breathing in her fragrance. "Yes… The girl, the blonde one… You knew her carnally?"

Blake tried to straighten, flushed pink from being cavity searched by the old witch. "I loved her… Yes… we had sex."

The Queen leered dispassionately. "Even in _my_ time, it was unacceptable for women to lie with women. It's curious to me that this isn't true of today, when humanity is ever lacking in population and in need of lovers that can… _procreate."_

"Society doesn't control people like that," Blake said, ignoring the sting she still felt in her backside. "We value our freedom and our choices first. And frankly… I don't _care _what you think."

"Hmm." Salem didn't immediately answer. "I'm not judging you, really. After all, that would be hypocritical of me."

Her arm wrapped around Blake's abdomen from behind, a hand on her shoulder.

"Is this it…?" Blake asked, shaking. "Are you going to take me? P-please, I'm not going to fight it… but I need to know what you're going to do so I don't _panic…"_

"Very well… To _take you_ as I shall, I must retain a specific mood. Otherwise, it is _very_ difficult, even at enhanced size. To achieve that mood, I'm afraid we must countenance a ritual as old as humanity itself."

Her hand swirled as a black rune formed, and Blake gasped as she felt something expand between her legs and looked down.

For a moment she thought it was hers, until it slid underneath her hips an inch. It was Grimm black, red veined and as thick as her arm, knotted and gnarled. Its shape was unmistakable, its purpose plain.

Blake dared to turn, the corner of her eye finding Salem's. "N-no…!"

"Bend yourself, girl, I'll not contort to reach you."

_"No!"_ Blake repeated, the ghost of a struggle forming as she tugged away. "No, I _won't _do that! I'll let you _eat_ me, I'll let you _KILL me, _but I _WON'T _let you _VIOLATE me…! _You can have my life, you _don't _get my dignity!"

"What a silly set of priorities," Salem opined. "All the same, your compliance is appreciated… but not strictly necessary…" The arm holding her front pressed against her pelvis, trying to coax it to pop back.

"Are you _KIDDING ME?!"_ Blake cried, exasperated, nearly in tears. "You're a _WOMAN! _You're going to RAPE me?!"

Salem seemed genuinely confused and intrigued. "It can only _be_ so if you're not consenting… But you have already surrendered your life, and by extension your body. I thought you were prepared for whatever awaited you."

Blake stopped struggling, seeing Salem as more alien or evil than she ever had before. "This…! This is _different!"_ Blake told her. "Women across history have been forced to live with the pain and humiliation and stigma of men _pinning them down, _and forcing their way inside them! It's a disgusting, cowardly act, and _frankly_ I think rape is the worst thing you can _do _to another human being…"

Salem blinked. "I think you have a very narrow view on just what can be _done _to a human being, girl… It's not _I_ that lacks perspective. Besides, you're hardly _chaste_, now are you? Even _prior_ to fornicating with the other girl…"

"That's _NOT why it matters!"_

Salem sighed, not particularly desirous of truly forcing her. "Regardless… perhaps it might influence your decision that I'm _only _doing this to facilitate your consumption, not for such base urges."

Blake's teeth ground as she heard it. "And that is _NOT _how consent works! I don't refuse and become _convinced!"_

"How morally affixed," Salem said. "So that means however it might happen from here, it will necessarily be against your will… So be it."

Salem's grip redoubled, and she wordlessly used her immense strength to pull Blake's hips against hers and pin her right arm as the other flailed. Blake shook and grunted desperately as she twisted every which way to avoid being taken by the phallus drawing back from underneath herself.

_"HELP! HEEEEELP!"_ Blake screamed to the heavens as black hands erupted from the floor to seize her wrists and pull her into a bow, forcing her hips to tilt. Another pair grabbed her ankles and rooted her to the spot, sliding to spread her legs apart. When she tried to drop and squirm away from Salem, another pair leapt out to wrap their fingers around her waist and hold it in the proper position…

Blake fought the tears as they came, without success. She was bent over, _presenting _to her rapist… her murderer. She was far from virginal, and her time with Adam might have been sketchy and abusive… but Blake truly believed she'd never experience this. Thought herself past the point in her life where she need fear being cornered and raped by someone stronger than her.

Yet here she was… it was happening. She couldn't stop it, and soon after that she'd be _dead._

"Who are you screaming for?" Salem wondered, hands freed to run along Blake's shivering back. "Like _her,_ you default to a token resistance… You _know_ what will ultimately happen."

_"Don't you talk to me about Yang!"_ Blake demanded. "You killed her! D-did you rape _her_ _TOO?!"_

Salem sighed. "You're being so needlessly difficult about this. No, I did not need to use her this way. If you were less stubborn, we _both_ could enjoy this before your time is come. Now, ready or not… let us _begin."_

Salem's thin fingers lightly tugged at her waist, as every black hand guided Blake against the thick head, which slid along her lips before aiming in the proper spot.

_"Nooo…! Nnnnnnggggghh…! NNNGHH-G-G…!"_

Blake winced, face reddening deeply as the _thing_ began forcing itself inside her. Every muscle she had squeezed taut. She felt blood rushing in her ears. Veins on her neck and forehead were prominently popped. For how pliable a faunus' womanhood could be, she was clamping down with all her strength to keep the gnarled root out of her body. Her teeth bared as she fought it.

But against her will, her body had lubricated itself, and painfully she felt the tip gaining ground.

_"A-arghhhhnnnn…! NNNNNN— NGK-K-K-KUH…!"_

Large as it was, she'd be able to take it rather comfortably, but her own resistance was making it _painful._ But what could she do? Surrender to this was _unthinkable._

Her eyes shut and her lips squeezed together as her whole body shuddered against the tip squeezing itself in her at last. She hadn't taken a single breath, and so she finally let it out in a single explosive burst, sweat dripping down her face and nose as she gasped rapid lung-fulls of air.

And then…

"N'_AGHHH…! Ahhhhhhnnn! Mnnnnnn…!"_ With the tip holding the door, the rest of Salem's muscled mass slid over her flesh as it buried itself to the hilt. Or rather, the limbs clutching her forced her _against _it. Salem herself seemed reluctant to actually thrust. She was standing rod-straight, a single hand on the small of Blake's back as this all transpired.

"There now…" Salem sighed, eyes rolling back for an instant. "You knew it would be so, girl, and now I have you. Such a curious sensation, your fire on my flesh… one could even forgive the men of the world for their obsessive pursuit of it. Relax now…"

_"Ngfff…!"_ Blake uttered, breath through her nostrils as she inwardly shamed the rush of dopamine and endorphins trying to coerce her. "I _HATE you…!"_

"All the same…"

And with that, it began, utterly slow. Blake realized quickly that despite the ferocious appearance of the _thing_ invading her body, Salem was not rutting her like some cruel beast. She was pulled away from and pressed back upon it at an almost soothing, tantric pace. It was slow enough that she might have been hypnotized by it, might have fallen asleep to it.

She had to keep reminding herself… _she was being RAPED…_

"Not so terrible, is it?" Salem asked. "You ought to savor this… it's the last pleasure you'll experience in this life."

"Hmnnn…! My last… ngg… pleasure was with _Yang…_ I accepted that… I _loved_ her… I won't let y-you… steal that away…! Mnnn…!"

"You know my story, and would speak to _me_ of _LOVE?" _Salem asked, irked. "I know love… I have loved longer than you could conceive. You two girls heaved upon each other is not _love, _it is fornication—"

Blake's ears and scowl found a way to deepen. _"Well FUCK YOU, you're WRONG…!"_

It was enough for Salem to freeze altogether, as tears finally leaked from Blake's eyes.

"You think you can tell _anyone _what love is…?" Blake demanded, hating her tears. "When you _DESTROYED _everything that _EVER _loved you…?! You might be the most powerful being on Remnant… but you're still the _LOWEST _thing alive! The Grimm don't know any better than to be what they are… you don't have that excuse. You're so twisted and vile you _can't even die… _You don't provide anything to the world, you only take from it…!"

Salem was utterly still, her eyes leering dangerously as Blake squirmed, shuddering with furious tears. "I'd call you a _parasite…_ but you can't even be _that_ properly… Parasites don't kill what they're latched to…"

There was silence, naught but the sniffs of Blake as she fought her feelings, and resisted the sensations between her thighs.

"Are you quite finished?" Salem asked, darkly.

Blake didn't answer.

"Yes… yes, I think we're done here."

The arms holding Blake vanished with a puff of smoke, and she fell forward, barely catching herself with her hands as the phallic instrument slipped from her body with a wet squelch. When she flipped onto her back, she found Salem grown to her massive twelve-foot height… except she was on her knees, leaning back.

Blake knew what this meant. "D-do it… just get it over with…!"

Salem didn't respond at first. _"Girl…_ you cannot know love until you've laid eyes on your own little ones… And so you never _shall…_ To your dying breath, you remain a _child…"_

A sweep of her hand and Salem's flowing robe parted before Blake, just enough to see her shadowed, pale genitals within. Her fingers made a beckoning motion, and Blake felt her feet snagged by some invisible force as she was dragged ever nearer.

"Wh-what…? Aren't you going to swallow…?"

"Yes, though perhaps not in the way you envisioned," Salem answered, as Blake was dragged closer still, stopping only when her lower half was directly beneath. "As you entered this world, so too shall you leave it. Go ahead, I'm not offended that you stare."

Blake felt… _strange,_ as she interpreted Salem's words in the only way that made sense. Indeed, she hadn't thought it wise to look the Queen directly in her nethers, but so invited…

Her navel was inches from where the lips joined, before a clitoris as large as a human eyeball. Salem was evidently too old-fashioned to remove her lower garden, but by some mystical means had left it an intricate rune-like pattern she didn't understand.

Looking closer, she could see those lips shined with moisture. The musk was nearly overpowering, though without an odor of sweat to soil it. Humid heat radiated off the sensitive-looking flesh, not youthful, but mature. Blake had never considered before, but Salem's immortal body must have been locked to an age somewhere in her thirties or so. Blake recalled how beautiful she remained while with Ozma, despite her encounter with the pools of destruction.

Though clearly certain things could still befall Salem. In the aeons since, her present form seemed to have worn. Aging _without _aging. It was difficult to describe.

Regardless… that immortal body seemed poised to snap her up, and she regretted every book she'd ever read that involved the myth of _vagina dentata…_ Never in her dreams had she thought such an instrument of fictional female revenge might one day pose a lethal hazard for herself.

What the witch suggested seemed impossible. It looked as though a watermelon would be a painful struggle for her lips to engulf, leave alone _her_… but the same had been _more_ true for her throat up above.

"You almost _are_ making me a shade bashful though," Salem said. "You seem disturbed by your fate… I shouldn't think so, you were _more_ than happy to lap between the other girl's legs and her straw quim."

"I-I… I'm just surprised."

"You see now, why I needed to enter you? My own carnal needs are greatly dimmed these last few millennia. I required stimulation to trigger my floor muscles to be capable," Salem explained, as Blake watched a thin strand of mucus patter upon her thigh. "Oh yes, this was _always_ the plan. I _did_ consider changing tact and showing you the same grizzly fate as your lover… after you insulted me, I mean… But faunus prey are so seldom, and their beastly yet _benevolent _ties to the Grimm make their essence an experience I can't bring myself to waste."

Blake felt a thousand conflicting feelings, edging towards fury at how Salem was justifying the violation she'd just finished.

But Salem spoke again. "Besides… such petty, impassioned outbursts are part and parcel to this ugly business. I like to think myself a bigger woman than that… in a less literal sense than this, I mean… I suppose you have further objections?"

Blake found herself lost for words. There was truly nothing else to say. Fighting it was pointless. Being consumed by a set of genitals was _strange _as a way to go…

Then it struck her… _she was going to die._

A shudder ran through her. This was the end of her life… Every step of her journey had led her here. If this were some movie, would a sad song be playing over this? She always accepted that she might die as a Huntress or as a member of the White Fang. Adam had tried to kill her, and before this, _that_ had been her nearest brush with the idea. Maybe a Grimm would have torn her to shreds.

And then the vague terror struck her _again…_ she didn't know _how_ this would kill her. Would she truly be ripped in half by hidden jaws? Would she drown, her last agonizing moments spent with her lungs desperately sucking down pussy juice? At least Oscar and Yang had proven that being devoured by Salem strictly led to being painfully dissolved.

"No?" Salem prompted, catching her in thought once more. "Nothing to say? No final words, got that out of your system?"

_Were_ there even words to be said to Salem as a final goodbye? Could anything sum up a life as short as hers? As her friends? It was almost cruel to ask it. Nothing could be enough. Nothing… _was_ enough…

Blake shook her head. _"Take me…"_

Salem blinked, and took a breath.

Blake felt her feet clutched again by that invisible force, and her back planted firm against the stone floor as her legs bent and—

"Mmm…" Salem groaned. Almost silently, Blake felt _intense _heat surrounding her ankles, and before she could fully take stock of it, she was pulled in up to her knees as her feet planted against something soft, yet solid.

It had to be said that for Salem's size, Blake stood tall enough that her head would just brush these genitals if _both_ of them were standing erect. Her entire body would not fit in this vagina, huge though it was. Her feet were pressing into Salem's cervix.

It was… _interesting _to feel this. Blake had fisted herself before and knew what this should feel like, but magnified like this was still surreal as her feet floated in oily, hot velvet.

She saw Salem's eyes wince shut, before she groaned, and Blake felt her feet tugged against the solid mass inside.

She pointed her toes and felt something _tight_ unfurl over them as her knees began to slide in. The cervix was like a steel garrote being forced open, and when her ankles finally slipped into what could only be the uterus, she felt an aching numbness as circulation was cut off to her feet.

Blake watched in terrified fascination, feeling fluid now dripping down her thighs from a source not her own.

"Nnn-_N'aughh!"_ Blake cried as she was tugged hard, before her feet were drawn deeper into the heat, and she watched her locked thighs creeping inside inch by inch. She gave a fearful spasm as it happened, the garrote sensation rolling over her shins uncomfortably as her feet attained greater freedom to move within.

Salem groaned, though she winced, feeling Blake's womanly hips drawing near to being imbibed as she was stretched. "Y-yes… Feel free to struggle if you wish… It's not… unnnwelcome…" She took a breath, staring down at Blake, whose whole body was supported by her shoulder blades now. "It's funny, I rather thought I'd _prefer_ your silence."

"W-what's going to happen in there?" Blake dared to ask since Salem was essentially offering.

"As you were made, so will you be _un_made," Salem answered.

"I know, but h-_how…?_ Does it matter if you tell me? I'll be de—" Blake hiccupped and found her voice broke a moment as a tear ran down. She wiped it away in frustration. "I'll be _dead_ anyway, right…?"

"I only know so much myself," Salem admitted. "Forgive my pause, this _is_ rather the most difficult part. For children it is the _head,_ but not for grown girls."

"Y-you feel _pain…?"_

"I do… _This_ pain is almost a delight, however."

Blake blinked. "You stop to brace yourself… If it's so hard, why not grow bigger?"

Salem nodded. "I could… I _have_… But the conquest is not nearly so thrilling… and the more snug in size, the more sated my urges."

Blake took another sweeping look of herself, thigh-deep in a giant woman. "I'm half your height, this is like birthing or _eating_ a five year old…"

The Queen sighed. "As I am, I find my limitations more vast than mere human flesh. Your concern is noted, of course… Now…"

"U-_ugh…!"_ Blake cried in surprise as the tug came even fiercer, and her kneecaps stung for a moment as they mashed against the cervix before popping in. She saw and felt her buttocks and hips settle upon the spreading labia, bemused as her own genitalia began to contact the flesh engulfing her. _A pussy's pussy, soon to enter a GIANT pussy…_ It was not lost on her, but as Salem groaned her thighs were pinned as her hips were tugged in rhythmic pulses now. Her pelvis began to occupy the drooling vagina bit by bit.

"Ahhg…! Nnn! _Ggg!"_

She watched herself vanishing, hands hovering near the sticky flesh rolling over her hips. She was almost tempted to _fight, _useless as it was, huge thighs on either side of her and blood swirling, _pounding _in her inversion-addled head.

"I-I… wouldn't do that," Salem told her, pausing.

"H-hmm-mm?" Blake intoned as she shook like a twig.

"You're tempted to trap your hands there and prevent panic, but you're wrong. It will only _fuel_ your panic… which I wouldn't mind, except more than one poor soul snapped their necks upon reaching the cervical isthmus. By now I'm certain you can imagine it mightn't be _pleasant _under your jaw? Your arms will help with that."

Blake immediately left her hands to hang, imagining the steely pressure pinching her thighs around her _neck, _fit to pop her head off.

_"Ohhh-hh-hhhh…"_ Salem groaned, as Blake beheld and _felt_ the hymen conquer the widest part of her hips while her thighs gently sank. She cried out as her butt slipped into the syrupy heat and the cervical band —and indeed the entire vagina— clamped down on her ever harder and in sharper intervals. Blake wasn't certain if this was Salem's arousal rising, or some kind of backwards childbirth response. Her body certainly dominated Salem's crotch, stretched to a degree she'd only _seen_ in glimpses of the birthing act, naught but the clitoral hood distinguishing the genitalia from just a hole. For a non-faunus it looked painful.

And yet, Blake couldn't shake the sensation that finally struck her… The sensation of being _eaten,_ the shocking slams of the cervix almost painful, like a mild chewing of teeth as her hips neared it.

Her feet were largely free inside… or would have been… but instead she felt them bottom out and tuck against the tough, velvety wall. It wasn't even that deep inside. Weiss' fears came over her, as she realized she'd be _crammed_ into the womb, barely fitting. Blake generally _enjoyed_ tight spaces, but the thought she would die barely capable of moving…

_"Uuh…! AUGGHH…!"_

Salem's cry was preceded by a yelp from Blake as she watched her navel slip in. With her pelvic region occupying the whole of the birth canal, Salem worked suddenly to be past it. The constant pinching along her hips was almost trivial as the whole set of muscles suckled on her body. She felt her backside smushed flat as it passed the cervical ring, and saw her waist and stomach drawn between the labia as the last of Blake's bottom slipped into the uterine chamber. She wore the Witch's cervix like a waistband, her ribs aligned with the relaxing folds after having taken the thickest part of her. Fear trickled through her as she realized more of her body was inside Salem than not…

"Mnn… I-It won't be long now," Salem told her, unseen even as Blake sought her eyes, for her knees had begun to distend the Queen's belly. "Now I have you at your most difficult… the rest will follow q-quickly… I'd hold your breath."

As Blake watched, one of Salem's great hands swept down, and began a swirl of its long digits over the proportional clitoris set halfway between the faunus girl's navel and sternum.

_"Ohhhh…"_

Blake was speechless as she realized how red she'd become. Lodged in Salem's snatch, being birthed in reverse while also serving as a faunus marital aid as the old hag fiddled herself.

But then the pulsing of the muscles grew in a burst of speed and intensity, and Blake cried out as she was sucked in up to her inverted breasts, as they found a way to perk higher with the hymen's support.

Then she gasped as the next pulse dragged _those_ up to her nipples, and by that point her outstretched arms reached for Salem's as she found her shoulders were _next._

"W-wait…! Please…!" What was she even pleading for? It didn't matter if Salem gave her time to mentally acclimate to this… the end result was the same. She was just afraid, as the intense musk overpowered her olfactory. Blake Belladonna was dead and buried the moment she left the sight of the others…

And Salem's body, if she was in command of the process at all at this point, ignored her. Her breasts finally snapped into the heat as the pulsing muscle sucked her up to her collar and shoulders. It was happening so _fast…_

Fear finally overpowered Blake's calm resolve, and her fingers dug into the crook of Salem's thighs as she strained to pull herself out. Wave after wave of Salem's body slammed over her like riptide, and the cervix chewed her diaphragm so hard she knew without seeing it that visible bruises were forming on her skin.

_"Nnnnnn...nnnNNNAUGHHH…!"_

Suddenly though, Blake gasped as Salem's moan punctuated with her hips and legs jolting before her eyes, and the forces Blake fought against instantly dwarfed her feeble resistance.

"Aughhh…!"

The first blast of orgasm sucked Blake past her shoulders, and her wrists fought to keep her head from the humid tunnel.

_"Nnnng…!"_

It was futile. The next pulse dashed every hope as her chin and the back of her head were squished against the vaginal walls, and the ragged, shiny flesh framing her vision was clogged by her outstretched arms and voluminous black hair filtering the light. Her body rolled up as she was packed inside, the cervix slamming against her shoulders. Her ears took in the cavernous echo of the hot tunnel as she briefly took in her place inside what more and more seemed indistinguishable from an esophagus. Her hands could no longer grip anything.

And like an esophagus, one last swallow pulled her past the cervical band and away from the light, her hands finally gripping the sealing labia as her head was suddenly immersed in fluid and darkness.

She was so surprised by it that she released her grip, and her hands were drawn in as she sought a source of air.

Like _that,_ it was done, and Blake was too panicked to recognize she had been totally consumed within Salem's womb, ears full of the pounding of blood and flesh as Salem's distant voice rolled through the last of her climax.

Too quickly she realized she'd forgotten which way she'd come in, barely able to do more than squirm and shift her arms as Salem's womb compressed her into a ball. If she weren't so panicked, she'd realize how apropos it was that she was being forced into the foetal position…

Her lungs burned as she dared open her stinging eyes to seek anything to aid her. Why it mattered was ultimately down to pure instinct, for she knew this organ would be her tomb.

As Blake calmed herself, even as her body demanded she take a breath that wouldn't come, she regretted opening her eyes. Not for what she saw… but rather what she _didn't_ see.

_Anything. Anything but a chilling, total blackness._

As a cat faunus, one might think Blake _thrived_ in the dark, maybe even loved it. And for what _humans _considered darkness, they might be partly correct.

But Blake Belladonna was _terrified _of the dark. The _true_ dark. Those rare places in the unknown where even the traces of light too dim for humans wasn't enough. A crushing, total black void.

She only experienced it a few times in select circumstances, but recalled the time when Adam's White Fang troupe made camp in a cave. Blake had wandered beyond the camp lights and was petrified to see a darkness so complete that her eyes couldn't pierce it. She couldn't imagine what human children saw every night without the aid her cat eyes granted her…

Even as her mind whirled, her resolve weakened. She belched her lung-full of carbon dioxide, ignorant of where it rose towards, and instinctively inhaled goo as thin as olive oil. Against her will she sucked it in, sinuses piercing as they flooded, lungs _searing _as they filled with fluid instead of bless'ed oxygen. _It was agony…_

_This is it… this is how she'd die…_

She thrashed with what little energy she still had left fingers on her throat. And then a _new, bizarre _pain suddenly struck out in the darkness, right in the center of her gut. It felt like a needle was being forced into her belly, and then there was a chilling rush of ice threading through her veins and nerves.

She'd never read about a sensation like this from drowning, but didn't doubt that her organs shutting down would feel strange and wrong…

...But despite the awful sensation of her flooded respiratory system, she was becoming _more_ lucid, not less. The dark was crushing, the heat sweltering, and she was compressed so tightly she could barely move, but while breathing still forced a snotty stream of syrup through her windpipe she was nonetheless flush with the satisfaction of air in her blood.

By chance she ran a hand over her stomach.

_Oh god…_

The piercing sensation from before, she realized, wasn't part of her drowning. No. At her navel, she felt a thick, gnarled, soft root forcing into her. She couldn't see it, but a gentle tug was enough to confirm that it had drilled into her stomach and spread multiple ways through her abdomen like a vine. _It was a fucking umbilical cord._

As she gripped it, she felt a thinner part of it beating like a heart. And in time with its rhythm, she felt her body awash with satisfaction.

It was… _blood…_ Salem's veins were interchanging with _hers_. Her blood, deprived from her dying lungs, was being replaced with Salem's. Her own was being flushed away through the Witch's body.

"I _am_ sorry," Blake suddenly heard Salem say in a muffle, and felt the whole body surrounding her shift and shudder. "Letting you drown would undoubtedly be kinder. Instead, I need you lucid… while I strip you of everything. I'm afraid there's no point taking you to your friends… you won't be able to speak to them anyway. I won't lie to you, girl… there, laden where my children once grew… you _will_ suffer greatly."

With that, Blake had only to wait in contemplation, every sensation magnified as she waited in the gurgling darkness.

Then the first feeling of nausea struck her, and she felt a pain in her whole body, but largely in her ears. Her _faunus _ears.

If she could have gasped she would have, both hands reaching upon her head. She couldn't believe it. The soft, velvet protrusions wiggled feebly as she _felt_ them shrinking even as her fingers touched them. The bones in her skull were sealing over, the sensation of sound, all the little noises she could make out were being dulled. Even her eyes burned, as the darkness became somehow more complete.

_Salem had been truthful. Her faunus essence, whatever that was… it was being drained from her. She was becoming HUMAN…_

Blake thrashed and shuddered as she tugged on the cord, only to be rewarded with debilitating pain. It was already too late. She couldn't make a sound, but she wept in great, heaving sobs.

_No! I'm a FAUNUS! I don't want to be human! It's what I am! You can't take that! You can't have that! _

She was more ashamed than ever that the duration of her time at Beacon she'd spent hiding the ears she loved from others. Her parents, the White Fang, even ADAM had made her proud of what she was. Some faunus would have loved to just be human to avoid hardship. Others still performed mutilation on themselves to remove their faunus traits.

But she had _never _been ashamed. It was the humans persecuting them who needed to feel shame.

And now she cried, running her hands over the bald spots where her ears had now sealed over. She couldn't believe it… Dying was _one_ thing, but _this…?_

She continued to mourn, until she felt something _utterly wrong_ in her belly. It began as a pressure, a tug from within… and then a feeling like tiny knives inside. She felt steel in her throat as the tug became pronounced, and she felt her insides _shift._

_What the HELL?_

She would have groaned in pain, but could only settle for her teeth gnashing as the hole drilled into her navel _expanded, _ripping the opening wider. She felt something like nausea, but so much _worse._ Out of instinct her hands clutched the cord trailing from her gut… and felt it bulging as something passed through it slowly. She felt the sensation of tiny knives rippling up into her chest and nearing her throat.

As this happened, her hands felt the bulge begin passing through the umbilical cord, and as the knives ceased somewhere beneath her chin she felt something slithering low towards it. A cottony sensation filled her throat, and then the knives whipped down through her bowels.

She finally felt an urge to vomit as a rippling shot through her gut. She'd had a gurgling belly before, but _this_ felt like she was about to crap a live electric eel…

_Oh GOD…_ she thought, freezing as she finally understood.

_She wasn't feeling an upset stomach… She no longer HAD a stomach…_

Whatever appendages came with this hellish cord to give her blood and energy, had already cut away her stomach and esophagus, stitched them together as not to bleed her… and siphoned them back through the cord like spaghetti. Her intestines were unspooling as they were snipped free and sucked out. A hand on her belly and she could _feel_ herself thinning.

_Oh GOD, oh FUCK…! I'm being disemboweled… I'm being gutted from the inside like a FISH!_

Was this karma, then, justice for all the tuna she so loved…? Now SHE was the one being cleaned out and filleted.

She'd never eat fish again… but the vow mattered little. She couldn't eat ANYTHING again, she had no stomach. Her digestive tract was being slurped out, and she was being kept alive by her devourer's own rich blood. Food was a thing of the past…

She felt more of her bowels uncoiling. It was nearly at the large intestine.

_No wonder she didn't think rape was such a big deal… She knew this was coming, so much more invasive than to be raped… Blake was alive, being stripped of parts like an old jalopy._

_I hope you eat SHIT, you awful hag…! I hope my bowels are filled with SHIT, and you EAT IT!_

Her insides lurched and she felt an urge to cry out as there was a sharp pull at her anal aperture… that same icy cut… and then a numbness as the pressure faded away. Her navel _ached _as the umbilical bulged once more and surged to admit it all.

Out of curiosity, she reached beneath herself and sought to insert a finger… but the wrinkled flesh was somehow _welded shut,_ as though glued together. She felt a shiver run through herself. She could feel her frontside flattened. Her digestive tract was _gone…_ She didn't even have an _asshole._

A debilitating snag east and west of her navel nearly made her black out, and she felt a confusing sensation as she drifted back in. _How could she still feel nauseous without a stomach?_

The sting wasn't long, just a hot blooming as the knives reached lower again, and she felt a sharp and _terrible _sudden urge to pee.

Her thighs squirmed, and she couldn't help the slight squirt she loosed into the fluid surrounding her as those knives fiddled with her pelvic region. In moments she felt the hardest bulges yet passing through her navel, both kidneys, her bladder, with her urethra sealing up. Her nethers throbbed and ached at the intrusion.

So that was that… Blake had neither a means of ingestion, nor to eliminate waste from herself. That was solely the domain of Salem's cord, supplying her body with rich blood. She could feel it pooling in places where the knives' work had been less than exact. With the speed of their work and the number of muscles and veins and tissues usually binding those organs together, it couldn't be more than a hatchet job inside her.

They went to work on something bigger in her stomach region, and she wasn't even sure what was _left_ there. Maybe her liver? She tried to be numb to it all… but being slowly hollowed out like this was the most terrifying experience, and the crushing knowledge of her loss was the worst of it. She recalled Yang, who Ruby confided to her had become bitter and morose after losing her arm.

Could this compare? Technically speaking, Blake still possessed all her limbs, form largely intact… though she had an evil God Witch for life support, and would surely die without her now.

No… her _ears… _her identity as a faunus… THAT meant more to her than individual organs, as close as seemingly becoming incapable of fighting had done to crush Yang's spirit…

...And like Yang, her partner wasn't here to ease the pain anymore. Maybe she deserved that…

The knives finished their work and the heavy mass was sucked away through the umbilical. She could almost certainly feel her ribs plainly against her skin, she'd lost so much volume. Then there was a throb, an ache, somewhere below. She winced, as the familiar pain of a period cramp wracked her—

_NO!_

Her eyes flew wide in the black, and a renewed energy compelled her as she tugged on the cord with all her strength, tears welling as she realized IT too had welded itself to her flesh. She desperately clapped both hands over her crotch, two fingers on her left hand slipping into her one final orifice even as the cramping turned into a gentle pull.

Blake didn't know why, but she was determined not to lose that which made her a woman… Pointless as it was at this point, and despite her newly discovered love for Yang, she was still very happy _being _a woman. Even on days she jokingly would prefer to opt out…

Of course, she knew sex organs didn't _make_ your gender… but she saw a life flash before her that she would never know.

She was never old enough, but she decided long ago when she loved Adam that she wasn't going to have children… not while the world was what it was for her people. It was part of why she wanted to change it. So one day, she could settle down and bring a life into the world in good conscience, knowing her child wouldn't suffer.

She wondered, in a different world, would she and Yang one day raise one? Certainly _Blake_ would have been the bearer, she couldn't imagine Yang carrying to childbirth… Atlas was looking into a means of same-sex insemination with Aura. She recalled Doctor Pietro speaking along those lines with _his_ creation… who had certainly taken on a life all her own.

_AGGH!_

She _wished_ she could have screamed, but instead only exhaled a lung full of fluid in silence as something like a scalpel raked below her knuckles and she pulled away in pain and horror. She tried to swallow in vain as her insides shifted again and her uterus drifted up towards her middle, but couldn't even focus on her womb being sucked out of her as her right hand clutched the already healed-over spot on her left hand where both her inserted index and middle fingers had been _sliced off._

She would have howled in despair and pain, but settled for sobbing silently into the sweltering dark as she wiggled the stumps left behind in sheer denial.

_I want to go home…!_

She dared feel herself below, terrified the same fate might visit _these_ fingers… Welded shut. Her external genitals were just a gash on her skin now.

She felt the knives threading _upward _this time. There was an odd sensation. She hiccupped.

By chance, her right hand brushed her concealed clitoris. Somehow, despite all that was taken from her, she still felt a surge of endorphins.

The knives began their work again, threading up her ribcage… they were headed towards her throat again.

_Fuck it. I need to feel SOMETHING… Something that isn't THIS..._

She focused _everything _on stroking and nurturing herself below, her left hand kneading her breasts if only to distract herself as the urge to breathe became ever more hollow. Not helping was the scrape of flesh not far beneath her breasts, scooping her out. She tried... tried to find release in the midst of all this. The button between her legs grew timid as the knives traveled up her throat. Flashes of her recent rape all but made it tuck away from the outside…

_Please… I NEED this…!_

But as the lingering burn of her lungs vanished, so did her control over her diaphragm. It was impossible to ignore it, the scraping in her EARS as the slicing knives were above her very voice box.

Then, she spasmed, limbs shaking. She felt an enormous movement in her chest as her own trachea slipped down into it after the organs it served. Her very chest felt like it was deflating as her lungs were shunted into her belly… and very slowly it was all being drawn through the cord.

Her _voice…_ She couldn't make a sound in this fluid anyway, but now her own unique voice was floating away. She was made _mute._ She'd drawn her last breath. Yet she was still alive…

How could Salem's insides be so _hot,_ yet she so _cold?_ She was _empty…_ She could feel her skin bundling in massive wrinkles, for it held nothing but bone, muscle, blood and fat. Her hand dared to press beneath her sternum, and she could feel her _spine_ through it.

There was _nothing left._

And yet, she felt the knives creeping back up again. What _was this?!_ Why couldn't Salem just let her DIE?! What were they after NOW?!

And then like an icy hand, she felt it, and convulsed. She nearly passed out as it spasmed and fought to keep going. She felt intense nausea, but didn't even have a _throat _anymore to expel the nothing inside her. She felt the knives begin a complicated surgery on—

_M-My heart…? God… please… not my HEART…_

Would this finally kill her? Would this misery and horror finally end?

Blake was pragmatic enough to know the heart was just a pump, it didn't have some REAL romantic purpose. And yet…

Like the rest, she felt the little lump moving as her heartbeat went still. She waited as her chest turned stagnant. Surely she'd ebb now…

...But it didn't come. She wasn't losing consciousness. By chance she put a finger to her neck.

She still had a pulse… _Salem's _pulse…

She tried to sob, only leaking salt from her eyes as she had no lungs to heave anymore. How could it be that _BLAKE_ was now without a heart, yet that _hag's_ was still in her somewhere, flushing blood through her body?

She wasn't a _person _anymore… Her body relied solely on Salem's now… She was part of her… Or just as awful, a mere _parasite_.

_Just finish it… Let it be over…_

But it wasn't. The knives never returned, but for a time that felt unbearably like eternity, she only floated as she shuddered at every noise, every jolt made by Salem as she moved around. She'd almost forgotten that an inch or so away was the open air she'd never taste, light she'd never see. Salem had become her whole world, and she was trapped as surely as a fish in a bowl. She tried so hard to sleep. Yang had been ingested inches from where she was, in Salem's stomach. She wished she could reach her hand out and draw strength from her now.

Instead, she grew weaker. She could feel it, the cold running through her in the murk. Her flesh was thinning, fat and muscle withering as if from atrophy. Her breasts had essentially deflated, so packed with fatty flesh. Her _bones_ and joints began to ache. Somehow, it felt like Salem's uterine walls were closing in.

And they were… but not to crush her. From the very start, Blake had been packed tightly, stretching Salem's paunch almost comically. Now, her body was simply losing the firm strength to continue this. She found herself tucking her limbs in tighter and tighter as the aches and pains reached strenuous levels, but finally the first _crunch_ set off a chain reaction.

If she'd been capable, she would have cried out in pain and fear as the pressure snapped her hip and femurs as the walls proved stronger against her brittle bones, sapped of substance with the rest of her body. It was like she was made of twigs. Instead, her eyes and mouth opened in a silent wail.

From there, an avalanche began. Her shins snapped… Ribs began popping to collapse her hollow chest. They were so brittle they couldn't even pierce her skin as they crunched into shards.

She waited, marveling that her spine was still bending. Her humerus broke… Somehow, her skull had yet to cave in.

Then she felt something curious, as she tried to even make out her body from the amorphous shape it was taking, as a floating sack of meat and bone fragments, her spine snapping in half.

The umbilical cord… it had ended its fusion with her. Instead, she could feel the skin of her stomach being _pulled in._ It had ceased to connect with her bloodstream. Blake couldn't have moved her broken arms to check if she tried, but the silence in her ears told her that pulse was finally gone. Her blood was stagnating… her flesh… brain… _starving…_

She swooned as the umbilical began to siphon her inside it. She was like an octopus, freed of form and being slurped through the tiny hole. She couldn't find it in her to fear though. She was finally _dying…_ Kept so unnaturally alive, she knew she felt no fear or curiosity over _where_ this umbilical _thing _was taking her organs, and now the rest of her. She'd be gone before it happened. She was fading so quickly…

_Yang…_

Her heart called out, as the siphon's mouth began to work over her chin.

_Yang, I… I'm coming…_

Blake Belladonna was gone before it krept over her blank eyes, her skull collapsing seconds after as the womb emptied at last.

* * *

Salem felt her front shrink rapidly alongside the crunching. Seated as she relaxed, she felt no satisfaction of vengeance as her innards destroyed the girl utterly. Nourished as she was by her young, Grimm-like essence, she'd had more difficult victims. Why did she _so_ desire that this one die?

As always, it felt empty. She was gone, but far from relief, Salem felt as if she'd _lost_ something. Something apart from the state of her belly.

Was she so feeble? Had the girl's words truly gotten to her?


End file.
